Kings of Olympus
by LubthaNiBriste
Summary: AU. Kronos now had the entire world under his control. And the children of the Big Three are willing to do anything and everything in order to win it back. -Perlia, Nicobeth, Jeyna-
1. Prologue

**A/N: I realize it is probably too strenuous for me to be writing two stories at once, but I'm taking the risk. If I have to take a break from one of the two, it will most likely be this one. I'm going to do my best to stay up-to-date, though.**

**Disclaimer: I do not and will never own the Percy Jackson series or the rights to any of the characters. **

"It is time, my brethren," Kronos began, glancing around the throne room. "For a new age to begin. The age of the Titans has come once again!"

The Titans and the rest of his army cheered. Kronos smirked, fixing prideful eyes on his new kingdom. After tearing the pitiful Olympus down, it had only taken an hour to rebuild a home for the Titans. It was grand, constructed of pure onyx stone, just as Mount Othrys had once been. He clenched his jaw. The pesky Roman demigods had destroyed Mount Othrys, his previous home.

All of the demigods against him in the war would suffer. Over the next few years, he created laws to capture and execute any demigod found that did not service him, whether Roman or Greek.

The gods of Olympus and several minor gods were cast into Tartarus and forced to endure an eternity of torture. They would not be able to escape as he had; every terrible monster in the pit had been damned by the Olympians and they were sure to take their revenge. Kronos let many monsters run free, in search of any and all demigods. He ruled vigilantly, constructing rules and laws better than that of his least favorite son, Zeus.

The only thing that prevented him from being at ease was the fact that the children of the Big Three had not been discovered. They had simply vanished as soon as the war ended. While their captured comrades had been tortured and killed mercilessly, they were nowhere to be found.

This worried Kronos. The pitiful heroes would be sure to take revenge and attempt to win their kingdom back. They weren't like the other demigods. The children of the Big Three were honorable, stubborn, and would fight until their last breath. A part of him believed them to be conspiring in secret, planning their attack on his home. The other part of him claimed he didn't care; he could take on three measly demigods easily enough.

The children were inexperienced. They stood no chance against Kronos and his army.

* * *

The river burned her. Every part of her felt like it was on fire. Familiar faces flashed in the back of her mind. A dark-haired boy with seawater eyes. A young man, tall and strong with the darkest hair and eyes the color of a summer sky. A teenage girl with curly golden locks and questioning gray eyes. A pre-teen with shaggy black hair and eyes the same color. The faces were gone almost as soon as they had appeared.

She felt as if she were dissolving in the river. It was slowly tearing her apart, scorching her skin and pulling her in deeper. She attempted to hold her breath, to no avail. She had no control of her body. The only part of herself she focused on was her mortal point: the nape of her neck.

Despite her efforts to ignore the pain, she felt like her skin was slipping off of her bones. Her soul was slowly departing from her body. She couldn't recall her own name. Her identity was slipping away from her.

"Lia," a young voice called. A voice she hadn't heard in years. "Don't forget your neck, silly!"

An image shimmered. A cute blond toddler stood in front of her, his chubby hands on his hips. "Ya neck will hurt if you do that," he lectured, surprisingly strict for a two year old boy.

"Huh?" she breathed out, shocked. He frowned, stomping his little foot.

"Stop! You hurtin' ya neck, sissy!"

She lifted her head from the rocky surface. She had been lounging on the roof, the rough tiles digging into the back of her neck. The young boy smiled, pleased she had done as he asked. "Good job," he giggled. "Put your hands behind your head, like me!"

He lay down next to her and demonstrated what he wanted her to do.

She quickly did as he instructed, placing her hands behind her head before laying back down. "See? That feel gooder," he said, sounding very much like a leader. "Right, sissy?"

Staring into the eyes of the toddler before her, she was hit with a parade of memories. Her vision was sharper. She was no longer in pain. She smiled slowly, remembering herself.

The boy's bright blue eyes, identical to hers, blinked back at her. He flashed a toothy grin. "Bye bye, Lia."

She felt a painful tug in her neck and heat enveloped her body before she was forcefully tossed out of the River Styx, landing on the rocky bank with a thump. Her skin was bright red, she noticed. She scrambled to her feet, shifting uncomfortably.

"How do you feel?" a voice asked, and she spun around to face the speaker.

She pondered the question, glancing down at her form. She didn't appear stronger, but every nerve in her willowy body was pounding. She felt like she could spring into action at any given moment.

"Powerful," she decided, smirking. The boy laughed, flipping his dark hair out of his eyes. She clucked her tongue, sizing him up almost mockingly. "Your turn," she reminded.

"I know," he grumbled. "Gods, why can't you and Percy be the only ones to do this?"

"All three of us must be invulnerable. You know that, death breath," she said. "Besides, we aren't going to do this without you. We need every warrior we can get."

He bit his lip. "I know of some people. I don't believe they'll take a little swim in the river, but they are powerful."

"If you trust them, we trust them," a new voice sounded from behind them. They both spun around and smiled.

"Percy," Nico greeted. "Thalia just did it. I'm about to."

The son of Poseidon nodded. "Good. Thalia, I can't believe you came up with such an awesome plan."

Thalia shrugged, secretly flattered. "Yeah, well, it was mostly the gods. They're the key to overthrowing that Titan bastard, after all."

He laughed, watching as Nico stepped into the black current. "Still. It was you who risked your life going down in Tartarus. Nico and I couldn't have done something that brave."

"Oh, bull," she said, tugging on the hem of her dark gray v-neck. "You guys would do the same without a second thought."

Percy sat a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe," he agreed hesitantly. "But my time to be the big hero is definitely over. I fucked up enough in the Second Titan War. You will lead us this time. And we'll win this time."

She sighed, hating how disappointed he was in himself. "It wasn't your fault we lost. Not even Prometheus could predict what happened. If anything, it's my fault. I should've known what was up with Luke."

"No," he said. "Don't you dare blame this on yourself, Air Head. I just wasn't meant to be the child of the prophecy, I guess. You were. You always were."

"Don't have so much faith in me," she said. "I'm not exactly humble."

"No one is perfect," he argued. "You may have a thirst for power, but you have much more than just that. You are loyal. You are brave. You are strong. You're a hero."

"You are, too," she said.

He shrugged. "Maybe I am. But I'm not the hero of the prophecy."

"We'll see," she said, not wanting to argue any longer. She turned her gaze towards the river. Had it taken her this long to become invulnerable? Nico sure was taking his sweet time down there.

"Is he dead?" the boy next to her asked carelessly, knowing that his cousin would emerge soon enough.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Yes, Kelp for Brains. I'm sure he's dead."

No more than five seconds after she spoke, the boy in question sprung from the river, landing just where she had.

"Took you long enough," Thalia scoffed, stepping over to him and helping him up.

Nico shivered, gladly accepting her hand. "That was terrifying. I could feel every inch of me fading."

"You're fine now," Thalia said. "Now, come on. We mustn't delay."

"You sound like your father," Percy commented, receiving a smack to the back of his head. "Ow!" he cried, rubbing it sorely.

"On to Tartarus we go," Nico remarked dryly. "Say, what's your mortal point?" he asked Thalia, turning to her.

"Nape of my neck," she whispered, not wanting anyone—spirit or otherwise—to overhear. "Yours?" she asked, as they cautiously walked along.

"Back of my ear," he answered. They continued to walk through the Underworld, diving behind random bits of the scenery whenever one of Kronos' minions was near. Eventually, they reached the dark pit and Nico swallowed thickly. "You guys ready?"

"As I'll ever be," was his collected answer. He rolled his eyes. His cousins were so alike it was scary.

"Down the rabbit hole we go," Thalia smirked, not waiting for them to follow before she fearlessly leaped into the pit.

"She's afraid of fucking heights, but she'll plunge into Tartarus with a smile on her face," Percy said, shaking his head. "She's crazy, I swear."

"You both are," Nico claimed, motioning for Percy to go in after their cousin.

Percy scoffed. "Oh, hell no. You first."

"You!"

"Uh, no thank you. You're going."

"Why? It's because I'm Italian, isn't it?"

"Sure is. Now go."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"…No."

"Yes! Oh, shit!"

Percy laughed victoriously. "If you say so, Nico." Without waiting for the younger boy to reply, he pushed him into the pit. "I can't believe he _fell_ for that," he said, laughing at his own pun.

Gulping, he leaned over to look down. Black. There was absolutely no light. How would he see when down there? He should've thought to ask Thalia about Tartarus before willingly coming to the Underworld with her.

He didn't want to, but he knew he had to. Thinking it was one of those things it was better to get through quickly, he leaped in after his cousins.

He hit the bottom a lot sooner than he thought he would. He expected the fall to hurt, even with the curse of Achilles, but it was…completely painless. He felt like he was floating on a freaking cloud. To his surprise, there _was _light at the bottom of the pit. It felt and looked like the inside of a cave. The walls and floor were crafted of worn stone. Old chains hung on the walls and stains looking suspiciously like blood littered the floor. Of course, he reasoned. Blood. Torture. Pain. These things took place in Tartarus.

There were no monsters or demons to be found, however. "You two alright?" Thalia's voice called from the right.

He turned to face her and nodded. Nico stood next to Thalia, fidgeting in his nervousness. Thalia looked completely at ease, which soothed Percy's anxiousness a little. His cousin knew what she was doing. He trusted her with his life.

But something was worrying him. "Thalia?"

"Hm?" she hummed, taking a candy from her pocket. She unwrapped it, sticking the sugary treat into her mouth. Where the hell had she found _candy _in the Underworld? He wanted some, too, damn it.

"Why aren't there any monsters or anything? Because last time I checked, Tartarus was supposed to be loaded with them," Percy commented, raising his brows.

She shrugged, pulling a strange face that made Nico and Percy laugh. "Kronos let out a good amount of them, but they should be returning here whenever they're killed. They were here when I came down here last week."

Nico cleared his throat, stepping forward. "I think I can answer that." His cousins rolled their eyes and he resisted the urge to slap them both. "They aren't dying. They cannot be killed. And there are no demigods to kill them, anyhow. The only demigods still wandering around serve the Titan lord."

"What do you mean, they aren't dying?" the daughter of Zeus raised an eyebrow.

"They literately _aren't_ dying. When they're stabbed or whatever, they aren't disintegrating. I think Kronos has something to do with it. I think he's made an ally of Thanatos. The monsters aren't dying, but demigods are."

"He decides who lives or dies," Percy stated, dryly.

"Exactly," Nico affirmed with a nod. "Now that Styx and Iapetus are ruling the Underworld, they are sending all heroes to the Fields of Punishment. Kronos lets them know ahead of time what heroes they need to look out for."

"How do you know of this?" Thalia asked, crossing her now pale arms over her chest.

"I've been around," he said, shrugging. "You hear things down here."

"I really wish you wouldn't hang down here," Percy said. Oh, Gods. Nico sighed; he _hated _when his cousins were overprotective.

"Yeah," Thalia agreed with him, which rarely ever happened. "It's dangerous for you to be in the Underworld, what with two Titans ruling down here."

"It's the only home I've ever known," Nico said. "Shouldn't we be going now? We don't have all the time in the world. They'll sense us down here."

"Yes," Percy nodded. "You're right. Thalia, lead the way." She looked a little pissed at being ordered around, but she didn't argue with him.

"I…have a little friend down here," she began, smiling coyly. "I think you two will want to meet her."

Percy furrowed his brows in confusion. "Who?"

"You'll see," she mysteriously answered, turning to face the only passage. It had no door. It was only an empty corridor. "Follow me. We'll see her on the way to meet the gods."

She led them down a series of corridors, all looking exactly the same. It was a wonder she didn't get lost. Finally, they arrived at a center, surrounded by three different corridors. A thick black curtain shielded the corridor to their left, while the other two had nothing covering them.

"This way," Thalia instructed, pushing back the dusty curtain. They followed her obediently, both too nervous to speak.

The glanced around the new room and gasped. Mosaic tiles decorated the walls, similar to that of the Labyrinth. The room had a calming effect, instantly making the demigods feel like they were at home.

But what shocked Percy and Nico the most was the cloaked figure sitting cross-legged on the floor, praying. Thalia, feeling completely at ease, walked up to the woman and sat across from her.

"Thalia," the woman spoke, her voice raspy and tired. "It's been a while since you've visited. How long has it been?"

"A week, ma'am," she replied easily.

"Time passes so differently here," the woman said. Although her voice was strained, her tone was warm and welcoming. Thalia looked to her cousins and patted the space next to her. Percy sat down next to her without any hesitation, yet Nico was wary.

"Come on, Nick," Thalia teased, smirking. "Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," he glared, seething. He sat next to Percy, who poked him in the shoulder, flashing a playful smirk of his own.

"Are these the boys you've spoken of?" the cloaked woman asked, and the demigods caught sight of her eyes beneath the hood. They were a bright mixture of blue, green, and hazel. They seemed to change every few seconds.

Thalia nodded. "Yes."

"And they are true heroes?"

"The truest," the daughter of Zeus replied, grinning lopsidedly.

"The Titan lord," the woman began, flipping back her hood, "will be defeated. The stars, they sing of it. The Ancient have been whispering. He will pay for what he has done to my children."

She had long, curly black hair that fell down to the small of her back. Her face was worn and rough, but she only looked to be in her thirties or so. She was beautiful, or she would've been if it weren't for the long scar running down her face.

"I intend to make him pay," Thalia promised, a dark glint in her cerulean eyes. She glanced from her cousins to the woman. "We all will."

Percy nodded, deciding he could speak to the woman if Thalia could. "He will pay. We will win Olympus back."

The woman smiled sadly. "It is time for a new age. You will not win Olympus back for your fathers. The rule of my children is long over. The rule of the Titans is forgotten. You will rule the new age."

"We can't," Thalia scoffed, shaking her head. "They won't just give us their power and let us go all kung-fu on Kronos' ass. They wish to live forever. They wish to rule."

"They know it is time for a new age. They will understand," the woman narrowed her eyes, clearly not appreciating Thalia's attitude. "They will remain immortal, but they will not rule the world."

Thalia sighed, and refused to speak of it any longer. "Excuse me for being rude. I should've formally introduced you."

The woman smiled warmly, a motherly gesture. "It's alright, young one. You have a lot on your mind."

"Percy, Nico," she introduced, pointing to the boys.

"Hi," Percy smiled, waving.

"Hello," Nico said, following suit.

The woman eyed them intently, her now azure hues blinking owlishly. "Rhea. Titan of…well nothing, really. Dread goddess. _Former _wife of Kronos."

Thalia smirked, whispering to the boys, "Nasty break up."

"I'd say," Rhea grumbled, rubbing her wrists sorely. "Bastard casts me into Tartarus for saving my own child. The heartless—"

"Grandmother," Thalia started, setting a soothing hand on the Titaness' shoulder. "There's no need to continue. With all due respect, we are fully aware of how much of a douchebag he is."

Rhea sighed. "Yes. I apologize. Being cooped up in here gives one an awful lot of time to come up with a rather large supply of insults."

Percy laughed. "Trust me, I've thought some up myself. Wanna compare?"

"Percy," Nico said, "as fun as that would be, we're here for something else."

"Any suggestions on the whole power-sucking thing?" the son of Poseidon asked, looking to Rhea.

She smiled in amusement. "Typically when one…as you say, _power-sucks_," at this, Thalia and Nico both snickered, "they are absorbing the very being of a god. Such as when the son of Hermes served as the host body for my ex-husband."

"That's why we were required to bathe in the River Styx. Otherwise, absorbing a god's power would destroy us. We wouldn't be able to take it," Thalia explained.

"Well, wouldn't it end up killing us, anyway? Like it did to Luke?" Nico asked.

Thalia winced at the mention of the son of Hermes, but answered him. "No. Luke absorbed the Titan himself. We are taking their powers, not their spirits. Luke did both."

Her cousins nodded in understanding and Rhea continued, "The god or gods that chose to give you their power will simply touch you, most likely your forehead, and speak an ancient incantation. They will call upon some of the oldest magics to do this, and that is one of the many reasons it is not often done."

"It's dangerous," Nico guessed.

"Very," Rhea said. "If one tiny, microscopic part of the incantation is spoken incorrectly, it could be the end for one of you. Or one of the gods."

Thalia let out a breath of air. "Whew. No pressure."

"You must get going," Rhea said, looking towards the passage way behind her. She smiled slowly. "Your fathers are waiting."


	2. Worse for Wear

**A/N: To begin with, I would like to thank all of those who reviewed and/or followed or added this story to their favorites. Each one means a lot. I am pleased to see that reviewers are already beginning to suggest pairings, although, I'm not sure it is a very fair system. However, while many suggestions were Perlia, I created a poll on my profile to benefit those who are uncomfortable with suggesting or for some reason prefer polls. I ask that you vote one pairing involving each character. It'd be kind of confusing for one person to be with several people, wouldn't it? If the pairing(s) you want this story to ship are not listed in the poll, please feel free to PM me your suggestions. **

**Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. **

The demigods stood and stretched, saying their goodbyes to their grandmother. Thalia's was the longest. She seemed to be fairly close to Rhea.

Percy gasped, giving a pout. "You're her favorite!"

"What?" she asked, as they walked down the new passageway. "No way."

"Yes way!" he exclaimed, looking to Nico for assistance.

The youngest smirked. "Zeus was her favorite. Maybe she prefers his children to that of her other children."

"That's nonsense," she said. "You two are crazy."

"What is it that makes her like Zeus so much anyway?" Percy grumbled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. They had all dressed darkly, wanting to blend in more with their surroundings.

Thalia rolled her eyes, walking ahead of them. Nico shrugged. "I guess because he was the youngest."

Percy nodded, agreeing with Nico. "Probably."

"We're just cuter than the rest of you," Thalia remarked. Percy could practically picture how big the smirk on her face was.

"Sure, sure," Nico said sarcastically.

"Hey, have you noticed anything weird going on with Thalia?" the son of Poseidon questioned suddenly, when he knew the girl wouldn't be able to hear him. Even if demigods had enhanced senses, he knew Thalia wasn't listening to their conversation any longer.

Nico frowned. "Not really. Why?"

"She's just…I don't know, distant."

"Thalia has always been distant," Nico said.

"Yeah, but not this distant. I think she's keeping something from us. This all just seems to good to be true, you know?" Percy said.

"Maybe," Nico said, hurrying to catch up to Thalia. "Come on, Percy. We have to go."

"So, where to next, madam?" Percy asked, now walking alongside his female counterpart.

"The gods," she stated in reply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Weren't you listening to me at all?" Thalia had always hated when someone went against her orders or ignored them completely.

"Oh, right," he replied, chastising himself for being so forgetful. "So, let me get this straight. The gods are going to willingly grant us their power? Like, make us gods?"

"No," she shook her head. "Not quite. We'll just have the amount of strength and power they do. We won't be gods."

"Rhea said something about a new age?" Nico asked.

Thalia shot him an annoyed glance. "After we defeat the Titans, the gods are getting their powers returned. We are not going to rule a new age."

"She wants you to take Zeus' place," Percy said blankly.

"It's not going to happen, guys," Thalia snapped. "Let it go."

"Your nose twitches when you're angry," Percy noticed, smiling slightly. "It's cute."

Thalia blushed, quickly looking away. She and Percy had gotten closer since the end of the Second Titanomachy. For a good two years after the war, they had hidden out together. In their third year wandering what used to be their beloved America, they had found Nico hiding out under a bridge.

Thalia didn't have a crush on him. She just wasn't used to receiving compliments. That didn't stop Nico from constantly teasing the both of them, though.

"Are you two seriously going to start flirting around me again? I was hoping it was all over," Nico grumbled. Both of the teens blushed and refused to meet one another's eyes.

"We aren't flirting," Thalia said.

"Yeah, what she said," Percy agreed weakly.

"Sure you aren't," Nico smirked. "Let's hurry up and get to the gods now. We don't have time to mess around like this."

Within the span of five minutes, they came to a stop in front of a large gold door. Before Thalia could so much as knock, a sound boomed from the other side. "If it's you again, Minos, I do not care to hear about your—"

"It's not Minos," Thalia called.

The door swung open immediately and a familiar face peeked out. The man had curly black hair and crystal blue eyes. "Thalia," he said with a small smile.

"Lord Hermes," she greeted. The god was looking terrible. He had bags under his eyes and his face held a few wrinkles. He was filthy, dressed in a ragged, stained chiton.

"Thank the gods you have arrived," he said, sighing. He opened the door wider, allowing the demigods entrance. "It's nice to see you again, Percy."

"Likewise," Percy smiled.

"I do not believe I have met you, but I know of you. Son of Hades, yes?" Hermes frowned, looking to the youngest of the three.

"Name's Nico, sir," the boy replied gruffly, used to people judging him by his parentage. They stepped through the doorway and Hermes guided them past several minor gods.

Thalia recognized one of them as Hecate, goddess of magic. She looked even worse than Hermes. It wasn't long before they began to hear distant screams. Hermes sighed, a scowl on his face. "Artemis," he acknowledged sadly. "It's her turn to be tortured."

"Artemis?" the daughter of Zeus asked, her fists clenched tightly. Artemis—her sister, her once patron goddess, her ex-Yoda—was being _tortured_?

"Hold your rage, sister," Hermes set a hand on her shoulder. "They will pay soon enough. Now come, the rest of the Olympians are right through this door."

To say Thalia was nervous would be an understatement. She was about to risk her life—and her father's—for a crazy plan that might not even work. She took a deep, calming breath. It didn't help.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, reaching out to gently grab her elbow.

"I'm fine," she answered, although her erratic breathing said otherwise.

"Nervous?"

"Oh, yeah," she said, nodding her head. He chuckled, stroking her back soothingly. She groaned quietly. "I feel like I'm going to puke."

"You're doing fine," he assured with a smile. "What's to be nervous about?"

_Oh, just letting the power get to my head and killing anyone and everyone in my way. _"Nothin', I guess," she lied, shrugging his hand off. He could never understand. He didn't have some psychotic, dysfunctional flaw. Even though she had personal loyalty as well, she possessed another downfall that contrasted wildly with the noble flaw.

They walked through the door. Thalia was surprised at what her eyes were taking in, but she didn't let it show on her face. Three years of being a nomad and her previous years as a young runaway had taught her the trade of lying successfully. She didn't let anything show on her face. Her eyes were a whole other story, though. Despite her efforts to hide her surprise, her bright cyan hues projected it vibrantly.

If she thought Hermes looked bad, she really didn't understand what filthy was. The Olympians sat scattered around the rocky floor, wearing only enough clothing to cover any vital parts. Cuts marred their skin, and dirt plagued the plain of their faces. The most mutilated god of them all—chained up in the center of the room—was her very own father, Zeus.

Thalia heard her two companions gasp beside her. Electrifying eyes, identical to her own, snapped up to meet those of the new visitors. Zeus was looking surprisingly young. The middle-aged man opened his mouth to speak, but no sound was emitting from his throat. Mere whimpers echoed across the room and Thalia glared at Nico when he dared to snicker.

"I will kill you if you ever disrespect my father again," she threatened in a whisper, smirking when the young boy appeared frightened. She wasn't close with her father, but she couldn't help but care about him. He was her father, Olympian or not.

An insult to him was an insult to her.

"Thalia," a female's voice called off to Zeus' left. Thalia looked to the beaten, stumbling figure. The woman's once voluminous mahogany hair fell flat on her shoulders and her hazel eyes were bloodshot and tired. Her grimy chiton was in shreds, revealing the skin of her stomach and glimpses of her legs.

"Hera," Thalia gritted between her teeth. What did _she _want?

The goddess heaved a long, tired sigh as if she was about to say something against her better judgment. "I…I wanted to give you my condolences for the various losses you have suffered and to offer you my blessing."

"Say, _what_?"

"What the hell?" Percy exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. His cousins threw him a confused look. Hera glared daggers at him, her motherly instincts obviously kicking in. "Uh, I mean…sorry." He looked down, ashamed.

"All right, then," Thalia dismissed, turning to face the goddess again. "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. _What_?"

"Do not misread my intentions, hero," Hera said, coldly. "I loathe you with every fiber of my immortal being and forever will."

"Gee, thanks," the girl snapped back sarcastically.

"Listen to her," Nico urged, setting a hand on her shoulder.

The daughter of Zeus brushed it off. "Then why are you granting me your blessing? Are you on crack? Because, girl you gotta give me some of that stuff you're smokin'. I am all kinds of stressed out right now."

"I am most certainly _not _'on crack', as you so eloquently put it," the goddess of marriage shrewdly replied, limping forward. "I am merely intelligent with my investments. And as you seem to be our only hope of survival, unfortunately, I would be foolish to treat you poorly and not give you my blessing."

"You're foolish enough as it is," Thalia agreed with a nod, resisting the urge to laugh when the goddess eyed her sharply. "Seriously, do they have some kind of funky drug down here?"

"If you count the cannabis Apollo attempted to smuggle in," a voice sounded behind them. Recognizing the voice of her sister, Thalia beamed. Artemis walked out in front of them and took a seat next to her brother. She looked up, silver eyes twinkling. "Nice to see you again, sister. Hunt anything interesting lately?"

"My immortality was stripped," the daughter of Zeus explained sadly. "As was that of the other hunters. The monsters ripped them apart. I do not know of any who survived."

Artemis frowned, as if expecting this answer. "You have proved what were only my personal suspicions. I am glad to see you are among the few survivors, dear sister. As well as you two heroes," she said, nodding to Percy and Nico. "The three of you have always served Olympus well."

"Few survivors?" the son of Poseidon questioned, stepping forward. His eyes scanned the dank room for his father, but he did not see him. "There are others?"

Artemis glanced to Hera, as if seeking her permission to speak. When the woman gave a stern shake of her head, the goddess of the hunt turned sorrowful eyes to the demigoddess. "I am sure our Queen will provide that information soon," she mumbled quietly.

Zeus began to groan inaudibly and Hera was quick to silence him, softly running her palm along his rough, bearded face. "Hush, darling," she whispered. "You are only furthering your pain."

"What happened to him?" Thalia dared to ask, blinking back the burning sensation in her eyes. She was not going to cry. She most certainly was not going to cry over her neglecting father. As soon as she asked the question, all of the eyes in the room turned to her. If she were her mother, she would practically bathe in the attention. However, being herself, she despised it. Thalia adverted her gaze to the ground.

To her surprise, a cold hand tilted her chin upwards until she was looking into the emotionless face of her stepmother. "Do you really wish to know, _child_?" she asked dangerously. Thalia had a feeling she wasn't originally going to call her a child.

The daughter of Zeus swallowed past the lump that had formed in her scratchy throat and nodded. The goddess' touch sent an unnatural chill down her spine and she had to force herself not to back away. Percy gripped her arm, looking to show some kind of reassurance; of what, she didn't know. Nico smiled at her, hope sparkling in his normally bland dark eyes.

Hera leaned in slowly, her warm breath brushing across the girl's face. "They took him first," she murmured, and her voice held slight remorse. "Welded one of his eyes shut. Can't you see? They clawed at him until they struck his organs. The demons only ceased when they realized they would enjoy watching him suffer. He isn't able to talk because they mercilessly stomped his vocal cords—"

"Stop," Thalia ordered, tears threatening to topple out of her eyes. Her irises were rimmed with burgundy and for once in her life, the daughter of Zeus couldn't find it in herself to hide how she was feeling. Her cousins eyed her with pity, her father with a silent apology. "Just stop, okay?"

"You wanted to know," Hera excused, her voice trembling in agitation for a mere second before it was immediately corrected. "Now you do."

"Obviously," Percy interrupted, stepping up for Thalia. "Now, are we just gonna sit around all day or did you have something you wanted to discuss?"

"As there are three of you, and some of us are unable to provide our blessings, each of you will be rewarded with three."

"Easy," Nico remarked.

"You do not get the choice, son of Hades," Hera snapped, scowling.

"Not easy," the demigod corrected, mumbling.

"Nine able gods have chosen their heroes and will step forward when called," Hera instructed, sounding more like a dictator than a goddess. "Artemis, Hermes, and myself have chosen to bless Thalia."

Hera approached the daughter of Zeus, along with the other two gods, and spoke an incantation. When it was over, the demigoddess didn't feel any different. Hera smirked, as if reading the brunette's mind. "You are not granted our power. A blessing is different. You will have our assistance in battle."

"Mine is the coolest," Hermes bragged, winking. "You'll be stealing and running like a pro in no time." Thalia was about to point out that she already did those things well, when she saw the hint of a smile on her half-brother's face.

"I bet," she agreed.

"Demeter, Apollo, and Aphrodite chose to bless Perseus," Hera droned on, but Thalia had tuned her out the moment she had opened her mouth. "And, finally, the following gods have agreed to bless the son of Hades: Ares, Dionysus, and Hephaestus."

After all of the blessings were dished out and passed around like bread at a dinner table, Hera frowned. "Zeus, darling," she began, slowly. "Are you sure you are feeling well enough for this?"

Struggling greatly, he managed to form a few words. Unfortunately, they were too low for any of the demigods to decipher. "Yes, of course," Hera agreed with whatever he had managed to say. "But will you be able to speak the incantation?"

The Lord of the Skies nodded, only barely able to do so. "Thalia," his voice weakly croaked, so quiet that Thalia almost missed it. She walked towards him, not waiting for any instruction from her horrid stepmother.

"Yes, father?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper.

The dark-haired god was able to press two cold fingers to her forehead, even though his arms were chained behind him, and began to mutter something his daughter couldn't understand. When he was finished, the demigoddess dropped to the floor, her knees suddenly crumbling beneath her weight. She felt boneless and wasn't able to blink back the blurriness that had suddenly flooded her eyes. Her skin felt as if it had been forcibly separated from her bones and all of her body burned.

Despite trying to, she couldn't scream. The brunette fought against the urge to pass out. She didn't even know if it had worked or not. Even though she wasn't exactly thrilled to find out, it wouldn't be very beneficial to them if she up and went unconscious on everyone. She sure as hell didn't feel immortal; far from it in fact. Instead, she felt like she had devoured one too many squares of ambrosia.

"Thalia!" she heard Percy yell and felt, rather than saw, his form leaning over her in worry. "Stay awake, Thals. Stay up!"

"No," she heard a familiar deep voice sound. She recognized it as Poseidon, God of the Sea and Percy's father. Had he been there before? She hadn't seen him. "Leave her, son."

Before she could hear Percy's argument, darkness clouded her vision and she found herself knocked out cold.


	3. Like Father, Like Daughter

**A/N: Here it is, the third chapter. In case it confuses some, I'll give you a heads up. The beginning of the chapter takes place immediately after the war. In the lead, of the poll on my profile, is the pairing Percy/Thalia. Perlia is most definitely my all-time favorite PJO pairing, but I swear I'm not being bias. I will keep you all updated until the poll closes a week or so from now. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I will own PJO when the world stops spinning. Okay, so I won't even own it then. **

**Feedback is encouraged.**

**Manhattan, New York**

**August 18, 2008**

**11:32 p.m.**

Thalia dug her fingernails into the skin of her cheeks, raking them down in her sense of distress. Even though she was miles away from the battlefield, the cries of her friends continuously rang in her ears, the smell of their blood heavy in her nostrils. A sword-wielding cyclops had skewered Clarisse La Rue. Enemy soldiers had brutally assaulted the hunters, injuring or killing nearly all of them in the process. Her mentor, Chiron, had died when the wall of a building crumbled down onto him. No one was there to fish him from the rubble, and so he suffocated beneath the weight. Annabeth—the girl she loved, her sister, her best friend _Annabeth_—was slain by Kronos himself and cast into the Underworld. She could only hope the girl had ended up in Elysium. Hope wasn't something she had much of.

No one could've seen the move coming. Percy—the ever-loyal son of Poseidon—didn't realize his mistake until it was too late. He surrendered the cursed knife to Luke, who was unable to resist succumbing to the Titan Lord's hold. His eyes flashed gold and within a second, the knife was buried deep into Percy's Achilles' heel. It came as a surprise to everyone. How had he known where to strike? No one—_no one_—knew where his mortal weakness was. And yet, somehow…Kronos had known.

Thalia and Percy had never been particularly close, but damn it, he was her _friend. _Annoying and corny friend, sure, but he was a friend nonetheless. Guilt flooded her mind, and she didn't even try to brush off her demeaning thoughts. She should have been the hero of the prophecy. She should be the one dead and lying on the ground in front of _him_, not the other way around.

Her fingers reached down and twisted around the thick bindings of his bronze chest-plate, and she allowed herself to sob. For the first time in thirteen years, Thalia Grace was crying. And over Percy fucking Jackson. "You wear your heart on your sleeve, baby," she mocked her mother's words bitterly, hating that they were truthful.

She may pretend to be a hardass in front of her peers, but really, she had always been too open. She was easily hurt and it _killed her_. She wished it would, anyway. Thalia didn't have any reason to live. Her father and friends, the only family she had left in this world, were stripped from her and brutally defeated in this _joke _of a war.

It hadn't been a war. Not really. Wars were never this black-and-white. There was never a clear good side and an obvious opposition; there was always a gray area somewhere in between. The Olympians were the good ones, weren't they? The Titans were evil.

Kronos and his army were the enemy of mankind. They would surely torture the humans and rule unfairly. She wasn't just on her father's side for the sole reason of their relation. It was the right choice. The Olympians had adapted to living amongst mortals. They treated them fairly and even went as far as to love some of them. Kronos hated human beings and that would never change.

They had almost saved the world.

They had failed.

Thalia had failed. She was a failure. Her friends had relied on her to save them and she could do nothing but stand there, frozen, and watch as all of them met their deaths. She was such an idiot. The tears continued to pour from her red-rimmed eyes and she was thankful she had carried Percy into an abandoned alleyway. She didn't want Kronos or any of his minions getting the satisfaction of watching her break down.

The daughter of Zeus ran a shaky hand through her cropped black locks, sharply inhaling. She didn't want to think about what Kronos would do to Percy's body if he ever got a hold of it. Chop off all of his limbs, gouge out his eyeballs, roast his innards, and hang his head on a spike so he could use it as a demented lawn ornament? Probably.

Thalia wanted to die.

She screamed, no longer caring if Kronos had somehow heard her cry and came trudging into the alleyway to put her out of her misery. Hell, she would welcome it at this point. If it was possible, she sobbed even more violently. Her tears dripped down onto the boy below her but she didn't dare wipe them from his pale face. She didn't think she could stand feeling the lack of warmth in his skin.

Thalia released heart-wrenching cries, struggling to get a hold of her breathing to no avail. "Gods," she cried pathetically, cursing the way her usually confident voice cracked in anguish. "Save me."

Lightning crackled off her skin and she was forced to release the son of Poseidon's armor. There was no use in shocking a long-dead body, after all. Before she could try and settle herself, her rush of emotions caused storm clouds to stir overhead and within seconds, rain and hail raced down into the earth. She wished a meteor would fall down as well, and hopefully blow a freaking hole through her chest.

Why had she been the only survivor?

The question drove her up the wall. Why was she considered worthy enough to live through the disaster? Was she meant to live the rest of her life in regret? Did whatever god out there wish her to suffer? She was doing enough of that so far.

Percy wouldn't be crying like this. He was the true hero. He would stand up, brush himself off, and kick some major Titan ass. Percy wasn't breathing. She pressed his hand to his chest, as if checking to reassure herself. Even though it wasn't needed.

Her cries slowed down when she felt a slight thud beneath the metal plate. That couldn't have been right. She felt his pulse before and he was dead. Her hands felt the soft vibration once again. Hurriedly, she ripped the straps of his chest-plate and threw the front half to the side. Not feeling the least bit intrusive or creepy, she ran her cold hand under his camp shirt and her fingertips brushed over his dark chest hair, her palm stopping where his heart was. Sure enough, she felt his heartbeat.

Impossible.

It was official. She was going crazy. Thalia Grace was a raging lunatic. She was tempted to check herself into a mental facility. Then again, Kronos would probably do away with those, too. Great. There was nowhere else for her to go to solve her psychological issues.

"Thalia?"

The daughter of Zeus was obviously just traumatized from the events of the day and imagining things. His voice did not just sound; his beautiful sea green eyes were _not_ attempting to meet hers. She refused to believe it. It was a trick. It was a fucking _trick_.

"Thals," his voice startled her again. "Wha—what's going on?"

"Shut up!" she snapped, glaring at him. "Stop messing with me."

"What are you talking about?" His dark eyebrows scrunched together, like they always did when he was worried.

He was worried about her. _He's dead, _she reminded herself. "Dead, dead, dead," she chanted aloud, not noticing the confused look the boy was directing towards her. "It's not real. You're just imagining this, Thalia. You're all alone. All alone."

"You are not alone," he cut into her ramblings, his voice strong and yet quiet at the same time. "Thalia, please, I don't know what's wrong. Who's dead? What's not real?"

"You!" she yelled, turning on him. "You're not real." She slammed her fist into the brick wall in her fit of frustration, but hardly felt the pain of the hit. If she wasn't insane before, she most certainly was now. "You're dead."

"No, I'm not," he argued, although his voice was still as low as before. His words sounded strained, as if it took a lot of effort to talk. "I'm very much alive, Thalia. What on earth are you talking about?"

"I watched him stab you," she replied, her voice nearly emotionless. She wiped the tears from her face with the hem of her black ribbed tank, chastising herself for crying so damn much.

Raymond Hayes, a son of Hecate that had joined up with Kronos, had torn her Death to Barbie shirt and not even sewing it back up could save it now. She got him back when she ran a knife into his buff neck.

"Who?" he asked cautiously.

"Luke—I mean, Kronos," she answered. "H-he killed you, Jackson."

* * *

**Present Day**

Jason Grace wiped the sweat from his brow, charging into a nearby alleyway. The continuous monsters attacks were becoming worse and more frequent. If he didn't find a safe hideout soon, they would surely overpower him. Thirty monsters were too much for one demigod to handle, even for him. His best friend Reyna came to a stop, tugging on his arm to get him to halt as well.

"What is it, Rey?" he asked, peering around cautiously. "What—"

"Do you hear that?" she asked, pressing a finger to his lips to silence his earlier question. She quickly removed it when he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Hear what?" Jason furrowed his blonde eyebrows. "All I hear is—" he was interrupted by the sound of a helicopter as it flew overhead, its spotlights scanning the grounds for any demigods. "Oh," he murmured. "That."

He allowed his dark-haired companion to lead him up the fire escape of a nearby apartment complex but scoffed when he watched her begin to scale the building. She whispered harshly down at him, urging him to follow her. When he hesitated, she glared at him. The thing about Reyna: she had a wicked cold glare. So, without further thought, he climbed up after her.

"There's an entrance to an abandoned warehouse a block or two from here," she supplied, crouching on the roof and hiding from the bright spotlights.

"And why are we on the freaking roof for that?" he whispered back, slightly agitated. They were less likely to be spotted if they traveled by foot, so why in the world did Reyna want to stick to the roofs?

"Have you ever seen a monster scale his way up a building?" she shot back, disturbed that he had dared to question her judgment.

"Uh, yes, actually. And I'm not referring to the scene in Spiderman when the Green Goblin did that sick—"

"Oh, shut up," the daughter of Bellona grumbled, moving along the roof when the coast was clear. "It's easier to see the warehouse while we're above ground and it gives us an advantage against any monster—regardless of the fact they may be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound—"

"That's Superman," the son of Jupiter interrupted.

"Whatever. The point is, we'll see them coming before they see us," she argued, looking away from his blue stare.

"Lead the way, Wonder Woman," he jibed, gesturing for her to continue trekking her way to the edge of the building. She punched him in the shoulder and he resisted the urge to wince. Reyna could _punch_.

When they reached the edge of the roof, Jason gripped her hand tightly and manipulated the air to glide them smoothly across to the next available roof. They continued to do this as Reyna instructed him on what building to fly across to next. Eventually, they reached their destination.

Jason was now covered in sweat, the sticky fluid layering him like a second skin. She led them over to the secret rooftop entrance and they hurriedly slipped through the panel as the helicopter's spotlights reached them. Praying to whatever god was listening that they had snuck into the warehouse unseen, they fell to the floor.

"You could've mentioned there was no ladder," the son of Jupiter complained, picking himself off the floor. Luckily for them, the warehouse wasn't a large one and they hadn't broken any bones on the way down.

"I could've," she agreed, shrugging. "But I've never actually been inside."

Jason rolled his eyes, beginning to wander around the abandoned establishment. Empty boxes littered the hardwood flooring and there were several different household furnishings scattered around. Said furnishings included a bed, three dressers, an abundance of lamps, and a tall refrigerator.

"Looks like I made a good choice," Reyna declared, obviously proud of herself. "Now we'll have a place to sleep _and _beds to sleep in."

"There's only one bed," Jason commented dryly. "You're taking the floor."

"Oh, no way!" she disagreed, punching him in the stomach. "You are."

"I called it first, bully," he snapped, punching her back. Before she could carry through with yet another hit, he held his hands up in surrender. "Fine! How about we share the freaking thing?"

She tilted her head to the side, contemplating the thought. "…I guess we could do that. As long as you don't hog the blankets, anyway." At his glare, she snorted in amusement and turned away from him.

"I do not hog the blankets," he mumbled to himself, walking over to the bed and plopping down on it. Reyna didn't know what she was talking about.

* * *

Thalia thought she had died and went to hell—because, let's face it, if the Titans had a decision in where she went when she died, she would surely go to the worst hell imaginable. The punishment she would be sentenced to would make the dimensions in Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy look like playgrounds. When she opened her eyes, however, a smiling Percy Jackson greeted her. If she were the same girl from before the war, she would consider wherever she was to be hell. After all, she wasn't the biggest fan of the son of Poseidon in the past. But now, as she considered him to be a friend, her fears were instantly soothed.

"Are we alive?" she asked him, causing him to chuckle.

"Yeah, Sparky," he answered her, laughing even louder when she glared at him. "We're alive…well, I'm not sure about Nico. He's been passed out for a while. After you went unconscious, our fathers showed up and did the whole transfer thing to us, too."

Thalia raised a dark brow, glancing over to their resting companion. Sure enough, the son of Hades was lying back on the grass, drool pouring out of his mouth like a waterfall. Wait a minute…grass?

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," he said, smirking. "I just woke up here to see my two cousins knocked out and snoring. It's definitely outside of the Underworld, though."

"New York?" she asked, frowning.

He shook his head, his shaggy black hair clouding his lively green eyes. "No. It's snowing there right now, I imagine. This is somewhere far warmer."

"California," she remarked knowingly, glancing off in the distance. "Well, I guess it's Segment 23 now," she corrected.

"What? How do you know?" he questioned, his face contorting in confusion.

"Uh, the Hollywood sign is right there, genius. What's left of it, anyway."

"Oh," he replied stupidly, finally noticing the famous sign behind him on top of the hill they were sitting on. Percy stood and looked over the other side of the hill and silently chastised himself when he saw a deserted highway. All of the roads were empty, of course. No one—mortal or otherwise—dared to leave his or her house.

"Are you going to wake him up or should I?" Thalia inquired, gesturing to the sleeping demigod.

"Tag team," Percy said, grinning. "I'll soak him and you shock him."

"Deal!" The daughter of Zeus sprung to her feet, walking towards Nico. "You first," she ordered, smirking mischievously.

She couldn't wait to see the look on the youngest hero's face. Reaching out to touch the boy's shoulder at the same time as Percy summoned water from absolutely nowhere, she felt the familiar electric current run through her veins. She shocked Nico, but it didn't even get him to stir.

Before her male counterpart could splash him with water, a loud boom sounded through the air and part of the highway in front of them suddenly ignited, flames dancing across the road and into the grass.

Kronos' soldiers were idiots. Thalia heard rumors that they pulled retarded stunts like bombing innocent mortals, but she had never actually believed them. She knew better now.

Nico moved around in his slumber before his dark brown eyes flickered open. "Hey guys," he yawned. "Where are we?"

His cousins stared at him blankly, not believing that it had taken an explosion to wake the kid up. "Cali," Percy answered shortly, clucking his tongue. "Home of the Red Sox."

"That's Boston," Thalia commented with a sigh. The boy needed to learn his baseball.

"Whatever." The son of Poseidon shrugged before helping Nico to his feet.

"How exactly did we wind up here?" the youngest asked, brushing himself off.

"We don't know," his cousins answered collectively.

Percy pulled grass shards from his hair and groaned. "In need of a shower, thank you very much. Oh! Let's go to the beach, guys!"

"No," Thalia said, harshly. "Are you stupid? We can't do that!"

"And why not?" Nico challenged, rising to his older cousin's defense. "I see no harm in it, Thals."

"Don't call me that," she ordered, scowling. "And because there are Titans controlling the sea now. They'll sense our presence."

Percy frowned sadly, but conformed to her reasoning. "I guess you're right. So, if you were in the sky, could Kronos sense you?"

"Uh, gee. Never tried," she answered honestly. "Afraid of heights, you know."

Percy laughed. "When are you going to get over that? Your father's domain can't possibly turn against you, especially now that you have complete control over it."

"You said it yourself, Percy. Kronos—" Thalia cut herself off, her eyes widening in realization. "Gods," she murmured. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"Uh, Thalia," Nico cut in. "Crazy, party of one. Wanna tell Percy and I what the hell you're rambling on about?"

Thalia was too engrossed in her thoughts to register his insult. "Kronos is ruling over the sky."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Nico said with a snort.

"Shut up, Nico, and let her finish," Percy snapped, which was unlike him. He clearly took whatever Thalia was trying to say seriously.

The daughter of Zeus met their eyes, her blue hues flickering from one form to the other. Nico hated how dramatic she was—like father, like daughter. "Kronos is ruling the sky…but the sky doesn't answer to him."

"It will still answer to Zeus?" the son of Poseidon questioned, raising his brows.

"It will still answer to _me,_" the girl corrected, her mouth slowly stretching into a smirk. "The same goes for the sea and Underworld. The Titans have ruled for three years so far, boys. Do you really think _our _domains have accepted them? Percy, when was the last time you manipulated water?"

The green-eyed boy glanced to his feet, blushing. They weren't supposed to be using their powers—in case they were sensed—but, of course, he had anyway. "Last week when we bathed in that river. I made the water warmer."

"And, did the water immediately respond to your order?"

"Yes," he said, his eyebrows furrowing as he began to catch on to what she was implying.

"Exactly!" she declared, a triumphant expression on her face. "Our domains may not technically belong to us, but they recognize us as their masters. Don't you guys see? We aren't alone in this war. We have the sky to back us up!"

"The sea," Percy agreed with a wide smile.

Even Nico grinned a little bit. "The Underworld."

"We've got all the army we need," the demigoddess said. "Kronos is stupid to think he even has remote control over _our _domains. The sky will belong to us. As will the sea and the Underworld. We will reclaim what is rightfully ours."

"Do you practice in front of a mirror every morning?" the son of Hades suddenly asked. At the confused looks his cousins shot him, he hurried to explain. "You always have these wicked inspirational war speeches. It's like you prepare them or something."

"Hey, when the moment presents itself, you have to seize it, Nicky," Percy supplied, patting his youngest cousin on the back. "For Thalia, that moment is all the time."

"Oh, would you guys just shut up already?" she angrily grumbled, spinning on her heel and walking away from them.

"Don't you _storm _away from me, young lady!" Percy called from behind her, chuckling at his pun. Nico joined in on the laughter when she briskly flicked the both of them off. The boys quickly followed her down the hill and onto the back road that led up to it.

They had a long way to go, and little time to get there.


	4. What Happens in Vegas

**A/N: Here it is, chapter four. I fear the ending may seem too far-fetched, but oh well. I wish to remind some of you, in the politest way possible of course, that both this story and Thalia & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief are AU. Therefore, not everything is going to be identical to the book. I would never go as far as to change any of the characters' looks or personalities, but events are not going to play out the same. So far, in the poll, Perlia is still in the lead. The highest vote for Nico is Nico/Annabeth, and Jason is chosen to be with Reyna. I am officially closing the poll some time today or tomorrow and the pairings will be decided then. **

**Anyway, I'm done ranting. I'll let you get to the chapter now.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it. **

* * *

The demigods had been traveling for approximately a day until they finally allowed themselves proper rest, crashing in the middle of a field somewhere in the Segment 11 area, or what was once known as Vegas, Nevada. All of the previous tall buildings and large attractions had been torn down and all that was left in the previous state was dirt, grass, and a few vacant, worn highways. It was possibly the most dangerous segment for them to be in.

For starters, it was out in the open, which meant _they _were out in the open and susceptible to attack. Some of Kronos' demigod minions were camping out nearly a mile away from them, so two of the demigods chose to stay awake and keep watch. Even though Percy and Thalia were tired, neither of them was willing to sleep. Their younger cousin Nico, however, had already passed out on the two of them roughly two hours earlier.

"I don't like this," the daughter of Zeus stated suddenly, holding her hands up to warm them by the fire. "The smoke might attract some…unwanted visitors, if you catch my drift."

"Catch ya loud and clear, Thalia," the male demigod agreed. "Unfortunately, this is the safest and most efficient way to keep both the insects and the cold away. We'd surely get sick if we didn't have a fire."

"I guess you're right," she said, sighing. She turned her gaze to Nico. "I just hope we all make it out alive. Nico just turned fifteen last week. He's too young for all of this."

Percy smiled slightly. This was the side of the demigoddess that no one else had earned the privilege of seeing. No matter how irritated Thalia got at her cousins, she actually did care about them. Underneath the occasionally arrogant and controlling façade, she was both a compassionate and considerate leader. "He'll be fine."

"What if we don't make it?" she challenged. "Have you ever even dared to think about it? What if this entire thing is in vain? We haven't even tried out our new powers yet. How do we know it will be enough to defeat…well, you know who."

"It's kind of hard not to consider the thought," he admitted. "But you'll pull through for us all." He slipped his fingers through hers, giving her hand a firm squeeze. "We'll pull through."

"And if we don't?"

"Then we'll die," he answered in false cheeriness.

"I think I've seen enough death to last me seven lifetimes," she said, lying back against the grass and bracing her arms beneath her head. "Yours was one of the hardest to see."

The son of Poseidon lied down next to her and his face contorted in sadness. "The Fates granted me life again, Thalia. It doesn't matter that I died. I'm back now. For good this time."

"You don't know that," she argued, daring to meet his eyes. "You don't know if it's the Fates who brought you back."

"Who else could it have been?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Gods, I don't know, Percy," she sighed, running her hand down her face. "Let's just not talk about it, all right? There are more important matters to discuss. When are we going to tell Nico?"

"Why do we need to tell him?" The son of Poseidon glanced to their slumbering cousin. "We are the eldest. He wouldn't know how to handle the information."

"He deserves to know," she said, her voice steely. "He's a part of this, too."

"The kid is keeping things from you, too, you know," he commented, wearily glancing over at her. "He's been associating with Romans."

"Romans?" she questioned, her face blank. "Percy, what the hell are you talking about? Nico could not have traveled to Italy, nor could he have went back in time—"

"Thalia," he interrupted her. "That's not what I meant. I think there are Roman demigods, too. I overheard Nico talking to himself and he was saying something about the Twelfth Legion."

"Legion," Thalia recalled from her history lessons. She scowled, glancing over to Nico's sleeping form. "And you're sure of this?"

Percy nodded. "It's the only explanation that makes sense," he reasoned. "What I don't get, though, is why he withheld this information from us."

"Greeks and Romans weren't exactly known to cooperate with one another, Percy," she answered his wonderings. "From what I understand, they were polar opposites. Ancient Greeks, including demigods, were far more laid back than the early Romans." She yawned. "Nico must fear you and I would kick the shit out of the Roman demigods."

"Continue," he prompted, his interest igniting in his sea green eyes.

"I, personally, don't think I would hold anything against the Romans," she said. "Even I have to admit, even though Rome completely ripped off all of Greece and our customs, Julius Caesar was a bad ass consul."

"Consul?"

"Elected leader by the Senate. He formed a triumvirate with Pompay and Crassus and after conquering Gaul, his popularity—"

"Wasn't asking for a history lesson, Thalia," Percy laughed.

"Maybe some intelligence would do you some good," she rebutted, smirking. "Anyway, no matter what Nico may assume, I feel we would get along fairly well with the Romans."

"I'm pretty convinced _you're _Roman," the son of Poseidon joked. His face grew serious. "Do you think these were the people he was mentioning? That could help us in the war?"

Thalia shrugged. "Possibly."

"Back on to our previous subject, which I still don't understand how we always seem to tangent off of, I don't think it's the smartest decision to tell him yet."

The daughter of Zeus heaved a frustrated sigh, running her hand through her cropped hair. "You don't get it, do you? Percy, how would you feel if your two eldest cousins, who you trusted with your life, knew of a prophecy that involved the three of you, and they didn't say anything to you about it?"

"I would," Percy began, bewildered, "I—I guess I would be…well, angry."

"How do you think di Angelo is going to feel? Just peachy?" she asked, raising a brow.

He sighed. "You have a point. It's just…I don't want him to know."

"I understand. But it's pretty obvious I'm the demigod getting the worse end of the deal." She snorted, sitting up and tossing a lone twig into the flames.

"_A spark of lightning to the world surrenders,_" he recalled, frowning. "There's no way of interpreting that, Thalia. It could mean anything and everything. We won't know until it comes to pass."

"Percy?" she called, looking to her hands and beginning to fiddle with them in her lap. "Can I ask you something?"

"I have a question for you, first," he said, smiling goofily. "Do you have a question for me?"

Thalia rolled her eyes, brushing off his question. She lied back on the grass, gazing up at the starless sky. Thalia didn't know how it happened, but once Kronos took over, all of the stars vanished, including Zoë. In a strange way, her hope resembled the stars. Once beautiful and shining, any hope she might have had before the war was now nonexistent. Even though she wished it wasn't so, depression nagged at the corners of her mind every day. She could only presume she got her mental condition from her mother, who had always resorted to alcohol whenever she found herself too spiritually weakened to move.

"Have you ever been with anyone?" She didn't know why she asked it, and she instantly regretted the question as soon as the words slipped between her lips.

Percy's smile was sad and it made Thalia feel like the whole world was crashing down on her. The son of Poseidon's smiles had always been full of life and overwhelming joy, but the war and his untimely death had spurred a more battle-hardened persona, and rarely did she ever see a true smile from him anymore.

"In what sense?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Any sense," she responded, retying her combat boots. Thalia didn't know when they had come undone, but she knew she would forget to retie them tomorrow and end up making a fool or herself if she didn't tie her laces immediately.

"No," he said, sneering. "I've never had a girlfriend, nor have I…well, you know." Percy blushed and his red face donned a sheepish expression. "Never really got the time for any of that, with the war and all."

"I always figured Annabeth and you would end up being a couple."

"There was a time I thought so, too."

"What changed your mind?" she inquired, looking to him in surprise.

"Don't really know," he said, and she could tell her was lying to her, but she didn't push it. "What about you? Have you ever been with anyone?"

"In what sense?" she smirked, repeating his earlier question.

"Any sense," he replied, chuckling.

"Of course not," she said, shrugging. Thalia wasn't the type to date around. There was never anyone she had felt comfortable with enough to begin a relationship. She was a demigod, anyway; she didn't have time for being around others. She was ordered to do something, she got it done, and didn't focus on the people around her.

Demigods operated this way. When it came down to it, they were only created for one reason. That reason is to serve their parents, the Gods. Immortals never concerned themselves with emotion-filled instances, and neither should demigods. Whether she liked to admit it or not, she knew she was only half-mortal. There would be times in her life where she would be expected to act as her father would, and she was prepared. A relationship would only end up distracting her from her purpose.

So, no. She had never been in an actual, steady relationship. It would be outrageous of her to claim she had never considered it, or that she had never kissed anyone before, because she had. That, however, did not change the fact that she _shouldn't _care about those things. They shouldn't mean anything to her, at all. Demigods weren't made to love.

"You're wrong," Percy cut through her thoughts. To answer her confused stare, he elaborated, "I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. We aren't our parents, Thalia. Even if we do end up ruling a new age or whatever, we won't ever be like them."

"Well, won't we?" she challenged, irritated that he had saw through her so easily. "Immortality—power—corrupts, Percy. You have no idea what it's like to have to struggle not to give in to that kind of temptation. It's a thirst that will never fade. And, even worse," she ranted, unable to keep a lid on her temper, "people can always conjure up new ways to use that against someone."

"Everyone has to fight the their own temptations, Sparky," he explained. "Even I struggle with it. The way I look at it, your flaws balance each other out. Whereas you may be power-hungry in a situation, your sense of loyalty and honor is always going to be far stronger."

"You actually believe that?" she asked, holding back laughter.

"Yes." No hesitation.

"Then you're stupider than I accuse you of being."

Percy gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palms. "If all you're going to do is castigate yourself," he started, angrily. "Then you can just knock it off now. You are not anything you claim you are, and nothing can persuade me to view you otherwise. You're a hero. If you're having a hard time with that, tough luck. Deal with it."

Thalia glanced down, growing ashamed as she realized everything he had said held significant truth. "Pick on me?" he asked, his voice becoming softer now that he saw his words were having an effect on her. "Feel free. Call me whatever you'd like. But once you start insulting yourself, it's gone too far, Thalia. Now, I don't know what you're problem is—"

"What my _problem _is?" she repeated incredulously, cutting him off and sending him a glare that made him shiver. "You don't know shit about me, Jackson. Don't you dare start acting like you do." She scoffed, giving a stern shake of her head. "You're unbelievable some times, you know that?"

"I don't know shit about you?" he asked coldly. "I never claimed to be the most attentive person, but I know my best friend. I know how conflicted you've been feeling lately. You're unsure of yourself; you're depressed. Thalia, we're human. We have weaknesses. It's about time you acknowledge yours."

"When the hell did you turn into Aristotle?" she snorted, brushing her short bangs from her eyes. Since she was no longer able to gel it, and it needed to be cut again, it was extremely messy. He shot her a look and she backtracked. "Sorry, Socrates."

"Quit with that, will you?"

"Have a whole list of 'em," she announced, clucking her tongue and that annoying way that made him want to reach over and smack her. "Plato."

Percy face-palmed and groaned aloud. "This is pointless."

"I would have to agree with you there, good sir," she spoke in a strange medieval accent, rousing a small laugh from him. "See? Some times my obnoxiousness can be amusing."

"You keep telling me, but…"

The daughter of Zeus rolled her eyes, jokingly glaring at him. "One day I'm gonna be funny, and you're going to regret not laughing at my lame remarks."

Percy flashed a half-smile. "I've missed this."

"What would this be?" She raised a dark brow.

"Just…hanging out with you," he said, shrugging. "Lately, we've been so serious. And, Nico is nice company and all, but some times I just prefer to talk to you. As Annabeth," he nearly choked on the words, "used to say, we have a lot in common."

Annabeth. There was a name she hadn't heard in forever, and never thought she would again. The mention of the girl caused unwanted emotions to stir within her, but she quickly pushed them back. Hopefully, if every thing went according to plan, the daughter of Athena would be with them soon enough.

"We have some things in common, I guess," she agreed. "So, now for the best part of our conversation. Let's talk tactical strategies."

"Great," he said, sarcastically. "My best subject."

"Hush," she commanded. "When are we going to attack?"

"We should attack first thing, don't you think? We don't want to give the Titans time to prepare for us," he reasoned, furrowing his brows. "But how will we take on nearly six of them, when there are only three of us?"

"We'll each take two, of course," she said, snorting. "You weren't the best in math, were you?" Not waiting for his surely sarcastic reply, she continued, "I figure we should attack at night. Hyperion won't be as strong then."

"And what of their demigod and monster armies?"

"You don't think we can handle them on our own?" Thalia frowned.

"We can't handle that many, Thals," Percy pointed out. "We need an army. And, in case you haven't noticed, we're kind of lacking in that department."

"How the hell are we going to do this?"

"Prisoners," Percy stated. "Doesn't Kronos have prisoners on Othrys?"

She smiled slowly. "His torture victims are our allies," she joked. "You're a real genius some times. How do you propose we get them? And, what about the Roman friends of Nico?"

"We'll talk to him tomorrow about getting into contact with them," he said. "As for the prisoners…" he paused to eye her dramatically. "You're the stealthiest."

"But—"

"You used to be a huntress!"

"Yeah, and—"

"You have Hermes' blessing!"

"Okay, okay," she snapped, holding her hands out. "I get it. I'll do it. But if I get caught—"

"Which you won't."

"—I'm blaming it all on you."

"You're forgetting a little something." He smirked. "You're as strong as your father was. You could escape in the blink of an eye."

"We haven't trained with the powers yet," she claimed, obviously disagreeing with his reasoning.

"We don't have to," he responded. "They can't be too different from the powers we've possessed our entire lives. They're just…more advanced and stronger. No big deal."

"Yeah," she said half-heartedly. She wrapped her arms around herself; the fire roaring before them failed to heat her backside and the cold air assaulted her from behind. "We'll head out in the morning, after we tell Nico."

Percy nodded, clucking his tongue in that adorably annoying way of his. "Sounds like a plan, my man."

* * *

Piper McLean knew something was wrong with the world. She wasn't like the rest of the people around her; she could _see _what was happening. America had not been conquered by another country. A weird group of soldiers—she heard referred to as The Athesmos—were the actual cause of the imprisonment of her country. The girl had tried telling her father, but he quickly silenced her suspicions and instructed her to watch her tongue. If she were to be caught out in public, speaking against their captors, she would be killed in the blink of an eye.

She recalled when it had all occurred. Piper had been casually leaning back on her couch, watching some ridiculous sitcom, when out of nowhere a large explosion shook the land. That was the last anyone had been able to use any form of technology. Connection with satellites had been completely cut off, and _mortals_—as the weird soldiers had named them—had curfews. If one of them was caught out past eight at night, their heads were knocked from their shoulders with the unforgiving edge of a blade.

That was the other weird thing; they used freaking swords. Who, in the 21st Century, used _swords_?

That question, along with numerous others, was what prompted her to run away and abandon her father. She knew it wasn't moral acceptable and she wasn't considering ethical values whatsoever, but what else was she to do? She was a sober woman amongst herds of drunks; a stranger in her own world.

It had taken her days, but she finally came to rest in a run-down mattress factory.

Walking over to a dusty, uncomfortable mattress, she plopped down on it. Taking notice of her surroundings, she felt her heart beat just a tiny bit faster. It looked as if someone had been here previously…or still was.

Two backpacks sat on the floor, obviously full. A few clothes were strewn about, as well as swords, and—

Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute…swords?

Good God, she had stumbled into an Athesmos camp. Piper hurried to her feet and was nearly out the door of the warehouse when she heard a stern, chilling voice that she knew would probably haunt her dreams until she died. Which was probably going to be very soon, if she didn't get out of there.

"Well, well. Who do we have here?"

Before she could pass the threshold, a firm grip fastened on the nape of her neck and she screeched in pain. She was held unceremoniously against the wall, her face pressing into the rough brick. Piper struggled against her assailant, but found herself defenseless.

"Are you deaf as well as weak?" the girl's voice traveled briskly to her ears, and delivered a threat so great she had to force her knees to stop trembling. "Answer me! What is your name?"

"P-Piper," she stuttered out, finding it increasingly difficult to speak with a mouthful of stone. "Piper McLean."

"Mortal," the girl behind her chirped in an almost amused tone, dropping her to the ground. "Now, shoo," she ordered. "Do I look like I have time for you?"

The choppy-haired girl spun around, wishing to at least catch a glimpse of the violent girl before she snapped and decided to run her through with a sword. Piper had to resist the urge to gasp. The girl didn't look anything like the other soldiers.

Long waves of the darkest brown, almost black, ran past her fit shoulder blades. Her form was slim and tall; she was built like a warrior. _No wonder she had such a monster grip, _Piper thought wryly. To her surprise, the girl wasn't in Athesmos armor, either. She was dressed relatively casual in a pair of black combat pants, a gray ribbed tank, and a pair of leather boots. Before the Apocalypse, Piper wouldn't consider this outfit normal. However, now that she had adapted to seeing tunics and chitons everywhere, this girl's apparel seemed slightly more habitual.

"Didn't I give you instruction, mortal?" the dark haired girl inquired, narrowing her dark eyes menacingly.

"Reyna," a male's voice called. "Lay off the girl, would ya?"

A tall, handsome blond appeared from around the corner and Piper felt her breath catch in her throat. His cropped hair was neat and professional, and his attire was similar to that of his comrade. A scar decorated his lips, running from top to bottom in a way that would make him seem less attractive, if he were someone else.

"Jason Grace," he introduced himself, smiling and outstretching a hand. "Praetor of the Twelfth Legion."

"Jason," the girl—Reyna—chastised, slapping him on the arm. "You are not to tell a mortal of us."

"What's the big deal?" he demanded. "The Legion was wiped out by Krios and his army."

"We couldn't have known Krios would abandon his duties in order to lay the Legion under siege!"

"Well, it's over now," he said, effectively ending the discussion. His electric blue eyes turned sharply to Piper. "What brings you here?"

"I—I ran away from home," she answered timidly. Could she trust them? She decided she really didn't have a choice. If she refused to reveal any information, they would simply cast her aside as if she were nothing but a mere scrap of trash. "I know you're going to call me crazy, but I know what I've seen. The people who rule us now…they aren't normal. They fight with swords and wear ancient-looking armor."

"We don't think you're crazy," Jason assured, looking a little concerned. The boy turned to the cold-hearted brunette. "Reyna, what do you think? Is she a demigod?"

"A demi-what?" Piper asked, mouth agape.

"Silence," Reyna ordered. "I believe it to be possible, although not very likely. Look at her, Jason, she's a shell of a human being."

"Hey!"

"We can't risk letting her go," he said. Jason turned to Piper once again. "I hope you don't have plans, Pipes, because we're initiating you into our little club."


	5. Dearest Heroes

**A/N: Sorry for the long update wait. Feedback is always appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: Of course the Percy Jackson series doesn't belong to me. **

"Nico," Thalia said, slapping the boy in the face to wake him up. "Get up and pack your things. We're heading out in ten."

"Hours?" the boy mumbled, turning over in his sleeping bag.

"Minutes," she corrected. "Get up."

Nico di Angelo groaned, pulling the top of the sleeping bag over his messy head of hair. The son of Hades slept like the dead—no pun intended, of course. It was usual behavior for a boy of fifteen, but that didn't mean Thalia had to like it.

"Percy," she called, sighing. When the son of Poseidon halted his actions of packing, she asked, "Would you mind?" She gestured over to the slumbering teen.

The demigod stood up straight and sauntered over to his cousins. He bent down to tap Nico on the shoulder. "Nick, wake up," he said. Percy ignored Thalia's scoff. "Get up, man! We have to go!"

There was still no response from the boy. "Do you think I should shock him?"

Percy shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why you shouldn't."

"I'm up, I'm up!" Nico griped, sitting up. He smoothed down his hair before climbing out of the sleeping bag. "You two are real jerks sometimes, you know that?"

"Yep," Thalia exclaimed proudly. "Now get your lazy ass dressed before I stab you in the face."

"With what weapon?" Nico smirked, raising his brows.

"Screw you," the daughter of Zeus retorted, realizing the boy had caught her mistake. She didn't have a weapon—not anymore. Riptide had stopped coming to Percy, and her spear was broken in half by a drakon. Nico was the only one of them that still had a weapon. While her trusty Aegis continued to dwell around her wrist, she lacked an offensive blade.

Thalia knew they'd have to get weapons soon. She wasn't _that _much of an idiot. Her father and the rest of the Olympians had given her instructions to a warehouse not too far from where they were. There, Zeus had told her (when he had a functioning voice box), they would find weaponry. She just hoped they didn't leave her a javelin. She freaking sucked with those.

They'd stop in the warehouse, retrieve their weapons, sneak into Othrys, free demigod prisoners, and storm Kronos and his army. On paper, the plan sounded more than perfect; however, she knew actually going through with it would prove excessively difficult.

"We all set?" Percy asked, directing the question to Nico, who had just finished packing. When both of his cousins nodded, the demigod smiled. "Are we ready?"

"I wouldn't say that," Nico grumbled. "What if we encounter some Athesmos soldiers? We'll just rely on my sword to protect us all? We're not prepared for anything."

"We don't have to be," Thalia argued, shouldering her bag. "We'll fight when we have to, avoid confrontation when it's best to. Besides, curse of Achilles, remember? And, we posses immortal powers."

"All right," Nico sighed. "If you say so."

"She does say so," Percy said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Isn't that right, boss?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's right." She brushed his arm off of her and began walking through the clearing. They hadn't traveled far when they heard rustling from the nearby woods. Percy shushed his bickering cousins, and flashed them a look of annoyance.

"What is it?" the daughter of Zeus whispered, crouching along side her male companions. They couldn't hide very well in an open field, but they could sure as hell crouch. '

"Well, well," a new voice sounded. "What do we have here? A couple of punks?"

"Nah," another voice replied. "Two worthless mortals and their whore."

"I am not a whore!" Nico yelled, springing to his feet. A large group of soldiers appeared from the woods, sauntering out to meet the startled demigods.

"Uh," Thalia started, looking to her youngest cousin. "I think they were referring to me."

"Oh," the son of Hades said, instantly regretting his decision yell as three more soldiers exited from another part of the woods and headed towards them. "My bad."

"Identify yourselves," the red-haired leader commanded, raising a sword. His soldiers followed his example, the metal of their armor clanging with the motion. "By the order of the Titan Lord Kronos, I demand you tell us who you are!"

"Whore," Thalia introduced, raising a hand. "This is mortal," she said, pointing to Percy. "And mortal," she gestured to Nico.

"I wasn't asking the _woman,_" the leader sneered. "And, I wasn't asking for a sharp tongue, either. Now, identify yourselves or I'll introduce you to the harsh end of my blade."

_I'll introduce you to the harsh end of my blade! Who even says that? _Thalia wondered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she focused on how they could take the soldiers down. She came to the conclusion that they didn't even require weapons; they bore the curse of Achilles _and _they possessed godly powers. Why wasn't she kicking their asses already?

The determined daughter of Zeus placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at each individual soldier. She counted a total of fifteen. "All right, boys," she said, cracking her knuckles. "Which one of you wannabe hardasses wants it first?"

The group of warriors chuckled, as if that was the funniest thing they had heard in years. "I'll take this one, guys," the leader said, stifling the rest of his laughter.

"You always get the easy ones!" another soldier complained.

Thalia smirked slowly. The losers wouldn't know what hit them. When she was done with them, they'd be lucky if they could breathe on their own. Percy nudged her roughly, whispering hurriedly in her ear, "What are you doing? You don't have a weapon!"

He continued to neglect the fact that she, too, now bore the curse of the great hero, Achilles. Nico snickered, catching on. The son of Poseidon looked as if he was about to faint in worry. Percy knew she was invulnerable, of course, but he had always been overly protective. He gulped, stepping forward.

"No," he objected, scanning the faces before him. "You'll fight me."

The crowd laughed once again. The second in command scoffed, "Look at the Nancy boy, stickin' up for his lass." The young man looked to the leader. "What do you think, Leonard? Should we spare the mortals?"

Leonard shook his head. "You're forgetting, Antony. We can do as we please. We are above the law."

Did they realize how moronic they sounded?

Without giving any warning, the leader struck out with his sword, aiming for Thalia's chest. To his surprise, it shattered upon impact and she was left unaffected. Percy quickly stepped back, realizing his display of protectiveness wasn't needed.

"What in Krios' name are you?" Leonard's mouth was so agape, it was sure to catch flies. He and his crew recoiled.

Antony, the second to the Lieutenant, advanced and slashed his sword through the air. He, however, aimed for the son of Poseidon. When his blade crumbled, a few shards landed themselves in his stomach and he keeled over, gasping.

"Ant!" one of his fellow men called, reaching out for him. The teenager never got the chance to check on his friend. Thalia caught his arm and used it to pull him closer. Before he could react, she twisted his arm behind him and tugged. The sound of bones shattering penetrated the air.

Nico attacked next, unsheathing his sword and drawing it under the leader's chin. "Pull a weapon or die without honor," he threatened, pressing the cold blade into Leonard's throat.

The young man gulped, but quickly accepted the dagger from one of his companions. The son of Hades backed up a few steps, giving the soldier the opportunity to strike first.

The daughter of Zeus turned her attention to two specific warriors. She recognized one as the boy who had called her a whore. One, she wasn't a whore. Two, even if she was, it still wouldn't be his place to judge. Rather than rant about it, she decided to take her anger out on them in a more violent manner. Grabbing the neck of the first male, she hefted him into the air and repeated the process on the other one. The struggled against her grip, and attempted to pry her hands from their throats.

She was pretty sure super strength didn't come with the curse of Achilles. Could it be a godly power? Hercules had been born with super strength, hadn't he? Thalia shook off her thoughts, deciding they weren't relevant at the moment. She had goons to take care of.

* * *

"Lord Kronos!"

The Titan Lord scowled, looking down at the messenger from his throne. It was one of his demigod minions—Ryan Francis, he recognized. The blond-haired teenager had sweat practically pouring onto his tan skin, and his armor was dented and broken. The son of Hecate had obviously encountered trouble.

"Yes, mortal?" the Titan questioned, trying to keep his expression blank. "You have something to report, I assume?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Lord," he began, wiping sweat from his face with the back of his hand. "A group of our soldiers were attacked by a few rebels just outside of Segment 11."

"Rebels?" Kronos inquired, leaning forward. "Describe them," he commanded. He knew of no rebels in his kingdom, and he knew absolutely _everything_.

"They all had dark hair," Ryan said, appearing to struggle with the description. "The three of them were certainly of Greek descent. Sharp noses, high foreheads, Mediterranean skin, full lips," he continued. "One of our soldiers, the only conscious one, claimed they were all boys."

Kronos raised a brow in thought. If they were all boys, they couldn't possibly be the missing children of the Big Three. So, who were they? They were clearly powerful; they had defeated a league of fifteen soldiers! Three against fifteen, and they had prevailed. "You are dismissed," he said, waving his hand. Not even his demigod followers were worth his time.

"Atlas!" he called, and waited for said Titan to enter the throne room. When he did, Kronos smiled cruelly. "I have something I need you to take care of. A…personal assignment, if you will."

"Personal assignment?" he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. "The last time you gave me a _personal assignment_, you wanted me to fetch your special brand of creamer. Which, by the way, they stopped producing a long time ago. Get over it."

Kronos slammed his closed fist down on the dark arm of his chair. "No," he said. "A group of strong so-called _rebels_ have been causing trouble in my kingdom. As my demigod soldiers weren't able to properly dispose of them, I instruct you to. It shouldn't be too hard—not another repeat of Artemis, yeah?"

"Silence," Atlas ordered, scowling. "I shall perform this task for you, brother. Where will I find these…rebels?"

Kronos smiled cruelly. "Call it a scavenger hunt, if you will."

* * *

Thalia had the brilliant idea to stop at abandoned houses and raid their closets. Unfortunately, they stopped three times before they found dark outfits they would actually willingly wear in public. The exited the two-story house quietly, rushing into a nearby alley. Nico had suggested they stick to the dark areas, as they were less likely to be spotted. There didn't seem to be any minions or monsters patrolling, but they'd rather be safe than lying dead in the dirt.

"We need to use the roofs," Nico said, looking up. "If we want to get to the warehouse, the roof is the only sure way."

"Roof?" Thalia asked, her voice high. "Why can't we just…I dunno, dig a tunnel?"

"You'll be fine," Percy said, grabbing her hand. "I promise. I'll be there to catch you."

"Aw," the son of Hades mocked. "That's _so _freaking cute. Now, can we move on?"

The teens blushed, but Percy didn't let go of her hand. She laced their fingers together. Despite her obvious fear of heights, she attempted to make herself seem fearless. "Guys, I'm not scared of falling or anything. And even if I did fall, I wouldn't need anyone to catch me. I just…like tunnels. They're, uh, warm."

"Sure you do," Nico said, laughing. "Let's go. We don't have much time."

By the time they dropped into the warehouse, Thalia had cut off the circulation in Percy's hand and she had bitten down almost all of her fingernails. The son of Poseidon was afraid she'd start on his next. He sighed in relief when she let go of his hand, and slowly began working the blood back into it.

"If anyone brings it up, that never happened," Thalia stressed, wringing her hands together. "And, just for the record, I didn't hold your hand out of fear. I just didn't want to reject you."

"Sure," Percy sang. "Whatever gets you to sleep at night."

"Shut up," she retorted lamely.

"Guys," Nico called suddenly, his voice sounding alarmed. "Someone has been here."

His cousins looked to where he pointed, and saw several carry bags and supplies huddled against a huge, dusty crate. A couple of swords lied on the floor in front of the bags. Thalia swallowed thickly.

"Come on, dorks. We need to get to the weapons," she said, her voice suddenly taking on a professional, commanding tone. "The sooner we get out of this stupid place, the better. Hermes said we'd find the weapons and several other necessities in the darkest room."

"Stupid cryptic gods," Percy grumbled, his head whipping around rapidly in search of a dark room. "Uh, guys…this is the _only _room."

"Something feels weird," Thalia commented. For some unknown reason, she felt a strange tingle up her spine. She only ever got that feeling when she was in the presence of her father. But there was no possible way he could be here. Not now. At the concerned look of her cousins, she cleared her throat pointedly. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Nico glanced at her disbelievingly before turning around and choosing not to press the matter. "I don't know what you're sensing, but I don't feel anything." He looked to the taller son of Poseidon. "Do you?"

"Not really," Percy answered honestly. "But," he looked to Thalia, "I trust your judgment. Do you feel we should go back?"

"No," she replied. "We need to weapons. Bad feeling or not, we're staying. Maybe we can crash here tonight, too."

"We should start searching," Nico suggested, giving a small smile when both of his companions nodded in agreement.

It wasn't long before one of them found a door. Percy all but shrieked with glee. "Who's the coolest room-finder ever? Moi!"

"Hush," Thalia snorted, shoving him aside.

Setting her hand firm on the loose doorknob, she turned it and pulled the door open. The room was a lot bigger on the inside than it had appeared to be from the outside. It had to be twice the size of the entire warehouse. The daughter of Zeus quickly came to the realization that the gods had crafted the room, and a magical enchantment had obviously been placed upon it.

The demigods didn't waste time in marching to the farthest side of the room and indulging themselves in the various array of supplies that lay on the large, golden table. From swords to lances to maces, every single weapon imaginable was there. They could have whatever they pleased…

"Don't be greedy."

And, Nico had to ruin it. "It wouldn't be greedy," Thalia argued. "They were set here for us."

"Nico's right," Percy said. "Why should we take more than we need?"

Having been on the run for years and years and years, the daughter of Zeus didn't like passing up free items; however, it wasn't good for her to go against the wishes of her friends. She reluctantly nodded and began to riffle through the objects.

She found a nice, lengthy spear that held her interest for a good three minutes or so, before her eyes caught sight of a magnificently molded sword. Her hand reached out for it quickly. It was made of a material she had never seen before; while it wasn't celestial bronze, it seemed just as powerful and reliable. It would take some getting used to, that was for sure, but the weapon would surely pay off in the long run.

Courtesy of the gods, they found new, top-of-the-line travel bags in the corner of the room, stock-full of necessities. Thalia strung on a leather scabbard belt, and once it fit snugly on her waist, she sheathed her sword. She then grabbed a dark, leather bag and unzipped it. Beginning to look through it, she found herself surprised.

There were snacks (she hadn't eaten in _forever_), bandages, nectar, ambrosia, an empty notebook, a worn diary of some sort, and a neatly sealed envelope. Not wasting any more time, she dug the letter from the bag and tore the envelope open. If the gods had left the note for them, it was sure to be important.

"Guys," she called. Her cousins hurriedly rushed to her side and glanced over her shoulder curiously. "It's a letter from the gods."

"Open it," Nico urged.

Thalia unfolded the thick note and was pleased to find the words were written in Ancient Greek, a language they all could read and comprehend.

_Dearest heroes,_

_It is my greatest pleasure to grant you the supplies and weapons stored in this secret room. By order of the Olympian council, I have been stocking up since the beginning of the war. We are aware that Prometheus predicted the Titan Lord's victory, and are merely taking precautions. As they say, preparation above all. _

_If our predictions are correct, you are all the children of the Big Three. If this is the case, and only if, there is yet another surprise awaiting you three. Why don't you check the large wooden trunk on the other side of the room? I believe you'll be quite pleased with what you discover. _

_My sincere wishes,_

_Hermes._

"Well?" Percy asked. "What are we waiting for?"

They practically sprinted to the trunk in question and frowned when they spotted the bulky lock dangling from the lid. "Great," Nico complained, groaning. "How are we going—?"

His unfinished inquiry was answered when Thalia simply reached out and gave the lock a firm tug, causing it to break off of the metal latch. "Like that," Percy said, chuckling.

"These godly powers are sweet," Nico said, laughing along with his male cousin.

"Percy, Nico," Thalia called their attention, somewhat urgently. "You have to see this."

The three of them peered down into the huge trunk and found themselves speechless. Thalia, seeming the most entranced, reached into the wooden container and quickly pulled out what was obviously hers. The second her skin came into contact with the powerful object, incomprehensible strength surged through her veins, and even her recently obtained invulnerability failed to compare to the rush of power she felt then.

It had burned at first touch, but only slightly. The warmth had soon begun to comfort her, as if this mighty weapon was just now getting reacquainted to the thought of having a master.

A small, almost wolfish smirk spread onto her sharp features. This was it. She doubted they'd be able to fight the Titans originally, but her mind was permanently changed. With this particular weapon in her possession, Kronos didn't stand a chance.

Percy pulled his father's trident from the trunk, and Nico followed soon after with the helm of darkness and sword of Hades.

"Wicked," Thalia quipped, spinning the master bolt in the air before catching it swiftly. She could definitely get used to this. The bolt seemed to obey her, and her only, which caused a train of goose bumps to rise on the skin of her arms. Never had she held such power…and she _liked _it.

"The sword of Hades," Nico remarked thoughtfully. "Wasn't this destroyed?"

"Dude, I don't know," Percy said, eyeing the boy's weapon suspiciously. "Wait a minute…does that mean you can—"

"Raise the dead," Thalia finished, standing.

Tilting her head to the side in contemplation, she struggled to think of a way she could conceal the master bolt. Smiling with her new idea, she activating Aegis and managed to wedge the bolt somewhere inside of the shield. Thalia quickly deactivated it, and watched in satisfaction as it transformed back into a wrist brace. Sparks jumped across the metal, circling the powerful bracelet.

"Hey," Nico started, actually grinning. "Forget freeing prisoners. I think I know how we can get our army."


	6. Rebels with an Obvious Cause

**A/N: Very late, I know. I apologize. But, it's here now. And, I will honestly try to update this more often. If there are any questions, please feel free to ask them. Big thanks to not for granted for assisting me in planning this chapter. It's highly appreciated. Your ideas are brilliant.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. Hopefully, you all realize that I am not Rick Riordan. I am not nearly talented enough.**

* * *

"We don't have time to do everything," the daughter of Zeus pointed out. "Nico, I appreciate you taking the time to plan something, but we are pushing daylight here. It won't be long before you-know-who discovers us. The spell used to shield us from their view is quickly fading. We need to make our time soon."

The three of them stood in the storage room, continuing to pile things into their new backpacks. Percy flashed her a look of surprise, zipping up his bag and walking over to assist her in loading hers.

"When?" the son of Poseidon dared to ask, stuffing an extra first-aid kit into her bag. He knew that they wouldn't need it—they had the Curse of Achilles—but the prisoners they were planning to rescue would.

Thalia fixed her distant stare on his face. "Before the week ends."

Nico sulked, throwing items rapidly into his gym bag. "I thought we had more time."

"We don't," Thalia stated firmly.

He spun to glare at her, resembling his father greatly. A cold gust of air sailed through the room. "Well, no duh," he snapped. "You don't get it, Thalia. We have to raise an army, and prisoners aren't going to cut it. If they were weak enough to get captured in the first place, they obviously aren't worthy enough to assist us."

"You're talking about _raising the dead_!" the daughter of Zeus exclaimed. "Are you insane?" Scoffing, she shook her head. "They aren't worthy enough? Strange. Usually, children of my father are the arrogant—"

"Thalia," Percy cut into the argument. "Nico. Calm down. You keep saying we're running out of time. Until a fight between the two of you manages to cut a hole in the time-space continuum and we wind up with more time, arguing will continue to solve nothing. Why bother in the first place?"

Nico stared at him, mouth agape. "Perce! She's being unreasonable."

"And you're being a little shit," she replied in the same tone.

"Would you two knock it off already?" the eldest teenage boy inquired. "I'm getting a migraine." Rubbing his temples, he watched tiredly as his female companion closed her bag and strung it across her shoulders. "Now, we need to figure out what we're going to do."

When Nico went to say something, Percy interrupted again, "This time, let's try actually agreeing on something."

Thalia defiantly stuck her nose into the air and crossed her arms. Percy sighed, stepping closer to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he leaned into her ear. "Please, Thals. I know you're even more stubborn than your father, but just let it go. We have more important things to worry about."

She appeared to be about to argue, but quickly decided against doing so. Nodding in resign, she sighed. "You're right." She tried not to blush at the feel of his comforting hold. Thalia turned to her youngest cousin. "Sorry, Nicky."

"Sorry," he mumbled back in reply.

"Now," Percy said, pulling out a spare chair and placing it in the middle of the room, before taking a seat. "Let's make a decision."

The two dark-haired teens watched as the dark form of their youngest cousin disappeared on the horizon, and slowly entered the warehouse again. Nico, knowing he would be the only one capable of carrying out a gloomy task, had volunteered himself away from the group. In order for things to go as planned, Percy and Thalia couldn't afford to travel with the son of Hades. The older two of the three were going to begin planning strategy and Thalia was set to storm the Acheron—prison of Mount Othrys, named after the legendary River of Woe.

The two of them were only in the warehouse for a few moments before they realized something was incredibly off. The place looked as if it had been recently used. Why hadn't they thought to inspect the place before crashing in through the roof? No one was in the main room, but a few backpacks were scattered across the floor and a sword lay discarded to the side. Who was foolish enough to ditch their own weapon?

The handsome son of Poseidon nudged his cousin, shooting her a look of alarm. Before either of them could make a move, three figures leaped from the shadows. A flash of blond clouded Thalia's vision, and she found herself face-to-face with a blue-eyed boy.

"Identify yourselves," he commanded, his voice projecting a leader-like quality. "Now."

Two brunette teenage girls stood to either side of them, swords raised. The shortest, a beautiful girl of Native American heritage, appeared to be the weakest link. From the way she held herself, Thalia easily pegged her as untrained. The other two, however, held their weapons in both a menacing and foreign manner. From the look of them, the daughter of Zeus could assume they had never been to Camp Half-Blood.

Percy raised his hands defensively. Thalia, cursing herself for being so unprepared, reached for her recently earned sword. Before her hand could so much as brush her leather scabbard belt, the blonde boy slashed out with his sword. If it hadn't of been for her Curse of Achilles, her palm would have been split open. Her eyes sparked, and their assailants took large steps backward, staring in awe.

"They're just mortals," Percy said, his eyebrows furrowing in slight sympathy.

The daughter of Zeus, unconvinced, unsheathed her gold sword. She leveled it beneath the young boy's chin. Thalia froze up for a brief moment, as the long scar running through the blonde's lip stood out underneath the dim lighting. She was reminded of another blonde boy, who once bared an identical scar. Her younger brother Jason had attempted to eat a stapler when he was merely two years of age. While such a story should have seemed amusing, it stirred sad thoughts within her.

"Mortals?" the shortest of the attackers repeated, scared. "You work for the Athesmos."

"The lawless?" Thalia inquired, raising a brow. "You speak Greek?"

The beautiful Native American girl frowned. "I—I don't know Greek. Please, have mercy on us! We didn't mean to trespass."

"Romans do not apologize!" the oldest brunette scolded, sending the other girl a scathing look. Eyeing the children of the Big Three distastefully, she added, "Especially not to Greeks!"

Thalia found herself offended. What the hell was wrong with being Greek? They had some damn good yogurt. Shaking her thoughts off, she silently reprimanded herself and urged herself to focus. There was something else suspicious that the girl had mentioned. Something about…

Her dark eyebrows furrowed. Romans?

"Romans?" Percy voiced her thoughts. "Aren't they extinct?"

Thalia reached over and swatted him, ignoring him when he made a show of shaking his assaulted arm. She met the gaze of the strongest character—the blonde boy. "Go. Leave this place. Neither Percy nor I desire any business with the three of you."

"Percy?" the brown-eyed brunette inquired, eyes narrowing in rage. "As in, Perseus Jackson?"

Percy's sea green eyes widened. Thalia stepped forward protectively, placing herself slightly in front of her male counterpart. Before the son of Poseidon could question the dark-haired girl across from them, the blonde boy opened his mouth to speak.

"Enough, Reyna," he ordered. "Who are you? We demand your names now. And, why weren't you injured?"

His blue eyes met Thalia's, and they widened in realization. The daughter of Zeus didn't know what was up with him. She had never seen him before in her life. Speechless, he lowered his sword. He stared at her in awe, as if she was an enticing mirage in the middle of the Sahara and appeared to him after he had been wandering the dry land for weeks.

Face riddled with amazement, expression aghast, he slowly approached the two demigods. He let his blade drop to the ground when the daughter of Zeus pressed hers into the column of his throat. The shy brunette from the trio reached for his arm.

"No," he said before giving her a chance to say anything. "Let go."

She made a sound of protest, and the older girl from the group pulled her back, eyeing Thalia and Percy in agitation.

The blonde boy's lips slowly twitched into a smile. "You're no different than when I dreamt of you."

Percy stepped forward, face reddening. "Hey, back off, pal. She's mine." Thalia stared at him in shock, her mouth dropping in disbelief. Stuttering, he quickly backtracked, "Mime, I said. She's a mime."

Thalia ignored him, turning to face the trio again. "What do you mean?" she asked the blonde, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You've dreamt of me."

The blonde swallowed nervously, nodding. "Yes."

"Are you a demigod?" the son of Poseidon asked, raising a brow. It was clear he was still upset over the shorter boy's comment; the tip of his ears were still a bright red and he had his fists clenched.

Reyna—the taller brunette of the three—attempted to say something, but the blonde merely shushed her once more. "Yes. All three of us are. I presume you two are as well?" he answered, not taking his eyes off of the daughter of Zeus.

Percy nodded. "Something like that, yeah," he responded. "What is your parentage?" His eyes scanned the three of them. "All of you."

Reyna stepped forward, weapon sheathed and hands set on her hips. "Reyna. Daughter of Bellona."

Bellona? The name sounded familiar to Thalia, but she couldn't pinpoint where she had heard it in the past. Could she be a minor goddess? Then again…hadn't they said Roman? And earlier, while sitting around the campfire, hadn't Percy mentioned something about Nico befriending other demigods?

The daughter of Zeus didn't know what this meant for their future, but she chose not to ponder on it for too long. The thought of Romans didn't necessarily bother her. If they were willing to help overthrow Kronos, they were straight with her.

"Bologna?" Percy asked, bewildered. "What kind of name is that? Let me guess," he said, looking to the Native American girl, "your mother is Salami?"

Reyna glared over at the son of Poseidon, her mouth twisting into a hateful sneer. Rather than comment on his slip-up, she continued to glower at him, crossing her arms over her chest. Thalia resisted the urge to laugh at her friend's mistake, choosing to focus on the teenagers in front of them instead.

The shy, short brunette cleared her throat. "I'm Piper McLean," she said. "I don't know who my mother is. I do not believe her name is Salami, though. I figure my father would have mentioned something like that."

"Unclaimed," the son of Poseidon murmured thoughtfully, turning to raise a brow at his companion. "What do you make of her?"

The pretty Native American girl was not very demigod-like at all. She fidgeted too much, and not out of hyperactivity. She was unsure of herself, and terribly anxious. Thalia could tell right then that the girl wasn't a daughter of Ares. Zeus was obviously out. She, of all people, would know if a child of her father was right in front of her.

Was Piper possibly Greek? She didn't share any features with the others. Instead, she bore almond shaped eyes, an oval face, high forehead and a strong jaw. Thalia would be damned if the girl didn't have a little Greek in her tank.

"No clue," the daughter of Zeus muttered finally. Her eyes searched the blonde boy next. "Your turn, Blondie."

Rather than take offence to the jibe, the boy smiled. "Son of Jupiter."

Jupiter? Another Roman, Thalia surmised. She knew for sure that his father was a Roman god; she just didn't know which one. Nodding, she cleared her throat pointedly. Raising a dark brow when the boy only frowned in confusion, she allowed Percy to take over.

"Name, kid," Percy said. "What's your name?"

The teenager laughed, clearly embarrassed. "Oh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He offered a weak smile to the daughter of Zeus. "Jason."

At the name, Thalia's heart soared in her chest. Could it be…? No. It was impossible. Sure, he resembled her brother in a remarkable fashion, but it could have been a coincidence. She was sure there were plenty of blond demigods named Jason, who had a stapler-induced cut across their lips. Thalia swallowed thickly, noting yet another unmistakable feature. They shared eyes of a cluster of blues; a unique combination of teal, cobalt and aquamarine.

But, the situation in itself was highly suspicious. Out of all the places she happened to run into her long-lost younger brother, they ended up meeting in an abandoned warehouse in the middle of a possible human apocalypse? Why now, if this was actually her true brother? Shaking her head, Thalia reasoned that this boy in front of her _couldn't _be her younger sibling.

After all these years…it just couldn't be possible.

Jason never once took his eyes off her, a charming smile standing proudly on his scarred lips. Reyna seemed to be upset at the display of joy and scoffed bitterly, maintaining an intimidating stance. Thalia almost smirked. The girl thought she could take on two godly-enabled children of the Big Three, who bore the curse of the great hero Achilles? Reminding herself that the demigoddess had no idea they were capable of such things, the daughter of Zeus fought off the proud thoughts.

Jason would not stop smiling, and it was beginning to seriously freak her out. Percy, noticing this, stepped beside her and wrapped an arm protectively around her waist. The daughter of Zeus couldn't help but flush a mean red, but she slipped her arm around him as well. She convinced herself it was due to the fact that their position would look awkward if she did not.

"What is your business here?" the son of Poseidon asked.

Jason's smile faltered at the display of possession, but it quickly returned. "We are running."

Reyna nodded. "Monsters and soldiers alike have been chasing us for Jupiter knows how long."

Piper frowned. "Same here."

"What about you two?" the daughter of 'Bologna' pried. "Why are you here? And, what are your affiliations?"

"Whoa, whoa," Thalia said, smirking. "One at a time there, hotshot. We're here because we were sent here. Do not fear; we are not affiliates of the Titan Lord. We arrive by my father's command."

Percy nodded. "We were sent here to retrieve…supplies."

"Supplies?" Jason questioned, eyebrows furrowed. "What kind of supplies?" He looked to Thalia next. "And, what do you mean your father sent you here? Who is your father?"

"Damn, you guys are curious," the son of Poseidon joked.

"We have every right to know," Reyna argued. "You two wanted to know so much about us, and we answered. It would only be dignified that you answer our questions as well."

"Well, one question at a time, then," the daughter of Zeus said. "For the love of all that is godly. One at a time."

"And, some questions are better left unanswered," Percy said, obviously put off. He smiled widely when his female companion leaned more against his form, but he hurriedly regained his composure. Thalia rolled her eyes. He just couldn't afford to appear vulnerable in front of potential enemies. She secretly admired that, realizing that she acted the very same on occasion.

She really hoped they wouldn't wind up being enemies. Once she got past the whole creepily smiling thing, Jason didn't seem half-bad. Reyna, on the other hand, was another story. She showed strong contempt towards Percy, as if he had done something to piss her off. Knowing the son of Poseidon, he probably had. Piper was quiet, but obviously friendly. Thalia decided she would save final judgment until later.

Still, even if the trio were dedicated demigods, they couldn't risk sharing too much information. They could never be too careful. With all of Kronos' minions running about, it was safest to stay relatively secretive.

"Fine," Reyna agreed eventually, looking to Jason for some kind of consulting. "Why didn't Ivlivs wound you? Why are you unharmed?"

"Ivlivs?" Thalia asked, raising a brow. "Who is that?"

Percy's nose wrinkled. "What kind of name is that? Did his parents hate him?"

Reyna sighed in annoyance, and Jason took it upon himself to answer. "Ivlivs is my weapon." He unsheathed it once more to show them. "In its concealed form, it appears as a coin. Depending on the way it's flipped, it transforms into a spear and a sword."

Thalia grinned in appreciation. "Nice. I'd show you my newest weapon," she offered, a wicked glint in her eye, "but I'm afraid it would result in absolute chaos."

Percy paled. "Please don't."

The daughter of Zeus cleared her throat, leaning up to whisper in her companion's ear. "Speaking of chaos, where is your father's trident?"

He shivered at the feel of her warm breath in his ear. "Left it in the storage room. Should I go get it?"

"Not yet," she replied. "I don't think we'll need to use our fathers' weapons. I just wanted to make sure that they wouldn't see them. They would know something strange was up."

He nodded. "Gotcha."

Jason scowled. "We playing a game of secrets now?"

"I'm pretty sure we were before," the son of Poseidon snapped. "In case you didn't take notice of the fact that _we aren't friends_."

"Like I would want to be friends with a tall, goofy-looking guy anyway," the blonde retorted.

"Goofy-looking?" Percy scoffed. "You're certainly one to talk."

"Boys!" Thalia yelled. "Can you—hmm, I don't know—_shut up_?"

The son of Poseidon stuck his tongue out. "He started it."

Thalia swatted his chest, but didn't pull away from him. "Don't be such a jerk."

"I'm not the one being a jerk! He called me goofy-looking!"

The daughter of Zeus shrugged. "And? That doesn't automatically make you goofy-looking." She flashed a small smile. "I happen to think you're quite handsome."

Percy blushed at Thalia's comment, offering a smile of his own. "I happen to think you're—"

Reyna pretended to gag. "Okay, less with the flirting and more with the answering."

Jason made a strange noise in the back of his throat. "Yeah," he said. "I would have to agree."

"Why didn't Ivlivs harm you?" Reyna repeated her earlier question.

"Have you ever heard of the hero Achilles?" Percy countered.

"Of course," the daughter of Bellona replied. "Achilles' heel. A weak point. Why?"

"We bathed in the River Styx," the son of Poseidon said. "Like Achilles did. We're invulnerable."

The trio nodded, as if trying to comprehend the thought. Piper appeared to be immensely confused. "But…" she began timidly. "Achilles…?"

"Quiet," Reyna commanded. At Thalia's look of surprise, the demigoddess sighed. "She's still confused on the whole mythology thing."

The children of the Big Three nodded. "Next question," Thalia commanded.

"What did you come here for?" Piper—for lack of a better, less pun-influenced word—_piped _up, somehow finding the courage after being hushed by her elder companion. "Specifically."

"Weapons," Percy answered, not missing a beat. "Go on and ask another," he urged, wanting to get the shoddy introductory interviewing over with as soon as possible. He and Thalia had places to go and fortresses to invade.

Jason stepped forward next, halting whatever Reyna had been about to say. He fidgeted a little nervously, his gaze never leaving Thalia's.

Percy sighed impatiently. "Well, kid?"

Thalia nodded, as if to give the teenager the motivation he needed. She roughly elbowed Percy for being so rude. "Go ahead, Jason."

Jason. The name felt like acid, pouring from her lips after years of absence.

"Why…why do I feel the urge to give in around you two?" the blonde asked. "You seem far more powerful than the average demigod. Why is that?"

Thalia shot a look to her male companion, but he swiftly looked away. That gave her all the information she needed; he still wanted to keep their abilities secret. For some reason, strangely, she felt the urge to tell the boy and his group of friends.

"All you need to know," the son of Poseidon began, "is that we are against the big man in charge. Thalia and I…we have a plan. We're giving you three a choice."

Jason's eyes flickered to the daughter of Zeus when the older demigod mentioned her name, but he chose against saying anything. Reyna's expression was steely and even if she wanted to know what the two Greeks were propositioning, she didn't let it show. Piper found it in her place to step forward and keep the conversation flowing.

"A choice?" she spoke, her voice soft. "What would that choice be?"

The children of the Big Three once again shared a look, making the other three uncomfortable. When Percy glanced back to the trio, he bore a rather grim expression.

"Join us, and help us fight the Titan Lord—"

"—or stay out of our way and act as if you never came across us," Thalia finished for him, pulling away and setting her hands firmly on her hips.

Jason parted his lips to answer.

* * *

Atlas grumbled to himself, crossing his arms over the chest of his military uniform. Kronos was perpetually sending him on little "missions," and it was frankly causing him to grow rather irritated. He was an all-powerful Titan, performing mundane tasks such as fetching groceries and assassinating pesky demigods. If he weren't considering the benefits of serving as Kronos' errand boy, he would have rebelled _ages _ago.

After seeing what Kronos did to punish the minor gods that had turned against the Titans, Atlas would openly admit his anxiousness. The Titan Lord had cast Hecate, Morpheus, and several others into Tartarus, where they were tortured alongside the annoying Olympians. Even if he had no true desire to serve Kronos, he thought better of betrayal.

It was true that he loathed his occupation—he was supposed to serve as a general, for heavens sake—and he had no warm feelings towards the idea of allowing the Olympians to rule; however, the Titan didn't wish the human race to be wiped off of the planet. Kronos had some bright idea. The Lord sought to abolish man and rule the world completely, without having to deal with measly mortals. The plan was brilliant on paper, but Atlas found that he actually disagreed with it. Humans didn't bother him enough for him to wish the end to their existence.

Over his years among mortals, he had learned two valuable things. One, humans were easily manipulated and willing to do nearly anything for fortune. Two, he was quite fond of the rich creamy delicacies sold in the freezer sections of stores. What was it, ice cream? He had come to realize that ice cream was extremely delightful, even to an immortal being such as himself.

Sighing heavily, he internally rejoiced at the sense of terror in the air. He had always received a thrill from striking fear in others, mortals especially. Families were cautious when leaving their houses, constantly finding themselves troubled with demigods serving Kronos. _Demigods_, Atlas thought, scoffing bitterly.

Demigods were the most grotesque race of humans, surpassing cavemen.

It was no secret that he looked forward to encountering the rebellious soldiers. He would take great pleasure and bashing their puny skulls in. The trouble was tracking them down and locating their positions. For a Titan, it should have been easy. Unfortunately, some sort of field was blocking his senses, leading him to search them out without the use of his immortal powers.

Atlas growled. He couldn't wait to find the brats.

As his first mission as errand boy, he decided to set Kronos' concerns to the backburner, so to speak. Even though he would never think to turn against the Titan Lord, he didn't appreciate being second-string in the least. He knew how to prepare for an upcoming threat, and he chose to take matters into his own hands. If Kronos discovered his whereabouts, he would surely be punished, but he couldn't bring himself to worry about it.

It wasn't like the prisoners of the Acheron would be able to tattle on him.

Prisons wailed and thrashed around in their cells as he made his way through the dark, dank stone corridors. It was no surprise; they most likely sensed the amount of power he radiated and it sent their demigod instincts on edge. The Acheron, unlike other reformed prisons of Kronos' rule, primarily held mystical convicts—half-bloods, satyrs, centaurs, and the like. In this instance, Atlas was in search of a mortal who could see through the Mist—the Oracle of Delphi, in fact.

Of course, it wasn't the same Oracle from the ancient times, nor was it the hippie corpse that had been rotting in the attic of the Big House. Rachel Elizabeth Dare—a chosen mortal with the sight—had been captured by the Titan Lord and forced to inhabit the spirit of the Oracle. Because the human was an extreme liability to the empire, Kronos had wisely stored her in the Acheron. Atlas doubted anyone knew of her ability. The prisoners were not allowed to communicate, of course.

Atlas smirked sickly as the sound of an innocent's screams reverberated in the long chamber. The gods of Olympus had been too weak to even attempt to imprison their own. The Titans, on the other hand, were brilliant and realized where their responsibilities lied. Speaking of responsibilities, Kronos had emphasized the notion by banning the reproduction of any powerful godly beings. The mortal slaves below were free to reproduce as much as they wanted. Atlas snorted. It meant more laborers for the empire.

Although, there had been some places where the mortals remained locked up in their houses. Kronos would get to them soon enough. The empire had other concerns—rebels, namely.

Rebels. There was that damn word again. The Titan couldn't wait to get rid of the threat so Kronos could finish organizing everything. He didn't want their takeover to be for nothing.

He hoped to squeeze information out of the Oracle. She was the only sure place to go. Whereas others may lie to him, the girl couldn't help but tell the truth when provoked. It was her bloody job, after all. However, if Kronos discovered what he was up to, he would never hear the end of it.

"_You pay loyalty to the new empire! I am to be informed of everything—everything you do! Blah, blah, freaking blah."_

Atlas rolled his eyes. He was a big Titan now; he could do whatever he pleased without Momma Kronos riding his ass.

He stopped in front of the large brass double doors. The Oracle had slightly better living conditions than other prisoners, but solely because they needed her in remarkable shape. Well, as remarkable as someone could possibly look when they were forced to endure hours of torture on a daily basis. It's not as if she received it as harsh as the others had.

The bruised and battered redhead glanced up from her seat on the floor immediately, her wide green eyes glinting with something akin to hatred. Despite her attitude, she remained in her position, but met his gaze fearlessly.

Atlas laughed aloud, not bothering to contain himself for the mortal's sake.

"Mortal, come," he bellowed, waving his hand.

"I beckon you forward," she said in response, her voice rough and apathetic. When he was going to object, she scowled. "This is as it always has been done. You approach the Oracle. That's what I am, isn't it?"

The Titan glowered. "And a sassy one at that," he grumbled, sitting down across from her. "Very well. Now, what of these rebels?"

Her head flew back before he even managed to finish his question, and her eyes glowed striking neon green. Jade smoke rolled from her slightly parted chapped lips, and the spirit of the Oracle projected itself towards him. Even though he had witnessed it a million times over, he still hadn't managed to get used to the process.

_Children born of the unseen, sea and sky,_

_The land of the Lords to once again rise,_

_Three forgotten heroes lead an inadvertent end,_

_To be or not to be cast, less a new age shine again._

Atlas stood abruptly, releasing an angry yell. "Mortal! I know that cannot be all there is to the prophecy. Tell me all of it!"

The girl, to the Titan's surprise, appeared confused. "I do not have control over them. That must be all there is to the prophecy."

"But that tells me nothing!"

"I assisted in the only way I find I can," the girl muttered, obviously upset that she had been forced to help in the first place. "What did I say?"

Atlas turned on his heel and stormed away, not bothering to answer her. She was just a mortal. He would figure out what the prophecy meant on his own. He didn't need the Oracle's help, or the assistance of Kronos to do so. It was solely his mission to squash the rebellion, after all. And that's what he planned to do.


	7. Jason and Thalia Play Black Ops

**A/N: Finally, I know. This chapter has so many cliffhangers that it almost makes me feel guilty. Almost. As is obvious, there is much more adventure and action to come. Hope this chapter met any expectations. If anyone has any suggestions or questions, I encourage you to leave a review or PM me. I'd be more than happy to read and reply.**

**Disclaimer: Only own my ideas. Don't own Rick's. Sorry.**

* * *

The Acheron was bustling with activity, something that wasn't very common. From the rumors that had spread around, the two shadowed demigods had expected to discover a secluded, eerie containment center.

They were surprised to find a prison that resembled the model of Ancient Greece. It appeared as if it were built out of a giant mountainside, although there were no ranges in sight. Despite its construction, lights shone brightly through certain divisions and the prison didn't look as haunting as they had imagined.

Bars separated the demigods from the interior, and they were everywhere. The entrances and windows were all barred. The metal appeared remarkably heavy, and the demigods watched from behind a chariot as a Titan lifted the barred entrance and swiftly ducked into the prison. Behind him, the metal clattered back to the surface of the earth and he vanished down a corridor.

The demigoddess made to rush forward, but found herself held back by a strong grip. She turned to face the blonde boy she had arrived with, and she noticed that his lips were drawn together sourly.

"We will be crushed," he stated surely. "You just saw that immortal enter. They will sense us."

The dark-haired girl tightened her jaw, spinning away from him and rising into a crouch. "Haven't you heard of stealth?"

"Haven't you heard of preparing?" he retorted.

"Listen, Jake," she whispered harshly, mindful of the ears and eyes surrounding them. "You may be new to this whole war thing—"

"It's Jason," he cut her off, his achingly familiar eyes narrowing at her. "And, I assure you that I am more than accustomed to warfare."

The dark cloak tickled the back of her neck, and she flipped back the hood in discomfort. Her Mediterranean skin gleamed in the moonlight, and she found it quite the mockery. The moon—which had once been ruled by her goddess—was brought to the night sky by Selene.

"You and your girlfriend keep mentioning that," she said, her voice clearly displaying her suspicion. "What war have you been in? I don't recognize you from the Second Titan War."

Jason turned his gaze to the entrance again. She watched the shadows play upon his tan, muscled skin. He was quite handsome, she noticed. He was most certainly in shape. He was either her height or an inch taller, and he appeared remarkably strong. The blonde's form was sturdy and menacing, yet attractive at the same time.

"I've fought plenty against the Titans," he responded eventually, his voice deep but quiet. "You and Percy have yet to tell us about who you are. Who you really are."

Thalia exhaled deeply. "Now is really not the time for that."

"Please—"

"C'mon, Jason," she ordered, sneaking around the other side of the dark chariot. His hand once again closed around her arm and she was forced to look back at him again. "What?"

"At least tell me who your godly parent is."

Thalia swallowed hard, turning her focus back to the entrance. "Zeus."

Jason inhaled noisily. "Didn't expect that one," he said. "Thalia, I have something very important to tell you."

"It can wait," she said, creeping away before he could say anymore. "Follow my lead."

Checking to make sure none of the prison's guards happened to be glancing in their direction, Thalia swerved around army vehicles and chariots. It was strange that the Titans were attempting to modernize their army while keeping it remarkably traditional.

She led him behind a stack of military crates, and she sank to her knees. He soon followed her example, and they both struggled to remain out of sight. Thalia subtly gestured to the two guards in front of the crates, hoping the son of Jupiter followed her train of thought. When the blonde boy nodded, she intently listened in.

"Big K has got us shivering in these damn uniforms," one teenager griped, his grip loosening around his assault rifle. That struck Thalia as odd. The soldiers they had encountered in the past had been toting blades.

The daughter of Zeus instantly assumed they were demigods. Instead of master, they referred to Kronos as 'Big K'. They were young—younger than her, anyway—and they couldn't keep their focus on one thing for very long. Thalia had never had any experience with operating guns, but she did know how to fight other demigods.

"I know, man," the other boy said. "But it's better than my deadbeat father's forges."

Hephaestus.

Thalia had met the god once, and never formally. She doubted the god even knew her name. He probably knew her as a prophecy kid, and nothing more. But, she had respect for him. Hera hated him, too. He wasn't like the other immortals. She didn't think he was ugly, either. He was only hideous in comparison to the other gods.

Thinking of the god led her to think of Beckendorf. Charles Beckendorf had been a loyal and strong fighter. He was the best blacksmith in camp. He could make anything from a refrigerator to a camouflaging spear. He and his beautiful girlfriend Silena Beaugard had both died during the Second Titan War. The daughter of Aphrodite had been accused of treason, but none of the campers had dared to forsake her name. She died a hero.

Thalia made sure Jason was paying close attention before she began counting down with her fingers. The two demigods in uniform continued to converse about one thing or another, oblivious to the lurking rebels.

Jason and Thalia vaulted the smallest stack of crates, catching the attention of the guards. The oldest grabbed for his walkie-talkie, but the daughter of Zeus quickly kicked it from his hands. Her blonde partner in crime latched onto the wrist of the younger guard, twisting it behind his back. Jason produced a gold dagger from the pocket of his jeans, easily sliding it across the guard's neck.

The taller guard took advantage of the distraction and fled.

The son of Jupiter nudged Thalia roughly. "You let him escape!" he whispered harshly.

Thalia smirked. "No, I didn't."

"What?"

Rather than answer him, the daughter of Zeus closed her eyes and focused. She had wanted to try out their inherited godly powers, and she figured it was as good as a time as any. The fleeing guard opened his mouth to scream and alert his betters, but he never got the chance. The breath was stolen from him and he flung back to the rebels.

Thalia gripped the nape of his neck, venomously digging her nails in. He gave a silent whimper, and Jason stared wide-eyed at the scene. "Sorry," she threw out in a whisper. "Last time we let Kronos' soldiers live, it came back to bite us in the ass."

Positioning one hand over his mouth and the other on the back of his skull, Thalia swiftly jerked the guard's head around, rending his vertebrae. His lean body slumped to the concrete, his knees giving out under his weight.

The son of Jupiter took a deep breath, making to advance further. Thalia stopped him, gesturing to the limp bodies. "You ever play Black Ops?"

Jason shook his head. "No."

"Never mind," she said. "Just help me get these uniforms off. We're sneaking inside the easy way. Even if they sense us, they'll think we're one of their own."

The blonde demigod nodded, crouching low just as she did. "Let's hurry, then."

Thalia slid off the uniform of the smaller one, noticing that Jason was built heavier than she was. She didn't bother instructing her ally to turn around and look another way as she undressed. He was professional about missions, and she admired him for that. He kind of reminded her of Zeus in the sense that he was strict and about-his-business.

She strung on the first part of the uniform—an olive green v-neck. Jason checked their surroundings before he followed suit. Thalia pulled on the camouflage combat pants and slipped her arms into the obsidian jacket. After stringing on the combat boots, she turned to face Jason, nodding in approval when she saw that he was completely dressed.

Jason slung a light tactical vest to her. "It's best if we wear these just in case," he said. "Should we arm ourselves?"

"We have swords," she stated simply, putting the vest over the combat jacket.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "And they have guns."

Thalia sighed in annoyance, reaching to the ground to grab the fallen M-9. She stuffed it in her belt holster, which came attached to the pants. "I hope you know how to work these things."

Jason grumbled, adjusting the gun he had already picked for himself. "Yeah, yeah. What are we going to do to our clothes?" He glanced to the fallen demigods. "And them?"

Thalia didn't bother glancing down. "That's why I brought a bag."

"For the bodies?"

"For the clothes," she corrected, rolling her eyes. She stuffed the garments into the light duffel bag she had brought with them. After finishing, she slung it over her shoulder. "As for the guards, Percy will take care of them. He's watching us now. He'll sweep through and clear our tracks."

"Speaking of him," Jason said, "where is he taking Piper and Reyna?"

"Somewhere safe," Thalia insisted. "An old safe house of mine. You and I will go there after this. Trust me. I know you're obviously concerned about them, but Percy will protect them. It's kind of what he does."

"I should be protecting them," he argued.

The daughter of Zeus flashed a small smile. "You agreed to fight alongside us. And, you were the perfect candidate for going on this mission with me. Percy is my friend, but he isn't stealthy at all. Piper has no experience, and Reyna and I would've ended up severely wounding one another before we arrived. They'll be fine."

Jason steeled his concerned expression, narrowing his eyes in concentration. "How long will this take?"

"Just a scouting mission," she assured. "We need to find out where the Oracle is, what demigods are still alive, and which prisoners we are freeing."

"It wouldn't be a bad thing to get the 4-11 on the Titans, either," Jason added. "We need to know if they're onto you two yet. You said you ran into some of his soldiers a while back, when your friend was with you."

"Nico, yeah," Thalia said, nodding her head. "Percy is going to try and contact him later and tell him where to meet us."

Jason nodded. "Let's get this thing over with."

"Agreed."

* * *

Nico slowly navigated his way through the fields of Elysium, being careful not to attract any undesired attention. Thankfully, neither Styx nor Iapetus had managed to wrench out the heroic demigods that made it to the Underworld before Kronos officially took over.

Despite being like Disney World for the deceased, even Elysium was slowly deteriorating. The streets weren't very busy, and the smell of freshly cooked food no longer lingered in the soft breeze. It was still a clean, bright place, but none of the spirits were taking advantage of it.

Nico tightened his grip around the Sword of Hades, keeping it sheathed. He didn't know if he'd be able to truly bring a spirit into its corporeal form, but he figured it was worth a shot. They needed all of the strong, reliable fighters they could possibly get.

The only downside to it all was that he had no way of telling which spirit was which. Even though he was the Ghost King, he couldn't make out any identities in Elysium. It was a highly guarded place. The rumor was that only the spirit could reveal itself to another person, hero or deity. Hades couldn't even command a spirit to present itself.

A lone ghost passed in front of him, resembling a transparent stream of water. It was fairly odd watching the soul spiral, and it almost brought a long-forgotten smile to his face. The form began to spin more rapidly, and the son of Hades instantly knew it was moments away from revealing its identity. He could only hope it was someone he was looking for.

Washed out blonde, curly ringlets of hair caught his attention first. Next, her gray eyes stared back at him dimly. The soft, pale features of her face had him nearly speechless, and he found it sort of ironic that she was dressed the way she had been when her unfortunate demise transpired. Her wavering smile informed him that she recognized him.

"Annabeth," he said, his voice sounding nearly awestruck. "Thank the gods. You made it to Elysium."

The daughter of Athena opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, attempting to find her missing voice. After trying several times, she settled for a defeated shrug.

"I don't know how to say this, really," he admitted shyly. "Thalia, Percy and I...we discovered a way to possibly bring heroes back from Elysium. That's where you are, you know.'' He couldn't help but talk to her as if she was able to reply. "And, well, I have to try it. So...are you ready?"

Annabeth appeared shocked, and transformed back into a spirit before dashing away. Nico sighed heavily, cursing himself. How could he have been so careless? He had probably scared her off. Who would like to leave a place like Elysium?

To his utter shock and disbelief, Annabeth had returned in her recognizable form, leading in a great number of other heroes. Nico's dark eyes scanned the crowd, instantly recognizing some of his old acquaintances—Clarisse La Rue, Silena Beaugard, Beckendorf, the Stoll brothers, Chris Rodriquez, Drew Tanaka, Cyril (the rogue son of Hercules), among them. He didn't recall any of the others, but he had probably seen them before.

A girl suddenly stepped forward—one his eyes had somehow skipped. Her black hair was in a neat ponytail, a green cap on her head. Eyes identical to his own twinkled back at him, and he smiled in surprise.

"Bianca…" he mumbled, entranced. "I—I thought…"

Annabeth waved her arms in the air, catching his attention. She motioned impatiently with his hands, and he remembered what he had traveled there to do. Clearing his throat, he withdrew the mysterious blade and held it out in front of him.

Closing his eyes tightly, he willed himself to focus. "Spirits of Elysium, you shall now be released. By the hands of Hades, Lord of the Dead, you have hereby served your time in the Underworld. Return to the land of the living."

A black vortex erupted from the flawless marble ground, and some of the spirits flinched from its force. Nico beckoned them all forward, willing at least one of them to attempt walking through it.

Eventually, his very own sister Bianca took the risk. She slowly approached the swirling whirlpool. As soon as her foot was sucked into the vortex, the rest of her body shot through. Before even a second had passed, she was standing in front of her younger brother. He managed to catch her before she collapsed, and his eyes watered when his hands touched skin.

"Nico," she said, when he had yet to speak. A huge smile spread across her face, and he was instantly soothed. It had been forever since he had seen his sister's smile, and it was nothing short of refreshing. "Nico!"

"Bianca," he said, just as mesmerized by her presence. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

She gave him a coy look. "I think I may have some idea," Bianca said. "You've grown so much. You're a whole lot taller than me now."

Someone cleared their throat before any more could be said, and Nico turned to see that every spirit had traveled through the vortex. Annabeth smirked at him, crossing her arms over her chest tightly. Her stance was menacing, but it wasn't directed towards him. She was ready to begin, and that was something he had always secretly liked about the daughter of Athena.

"Take us to Thalia and Percy, and we'll get this show on the road."

* * *

Percy kicked the limb of one of the fallen guards, his expression one of disgust. "Gods, did she have to slit his neck?"

Reyna narrowed her eyes. "I have reason to believe that was Jason. He is quite fond of that method. Perhaps your girlfriend snapped the taller one's neck."

"She isn't my girlfriend," he replied harshly, rolling his eyes.

Piper, who had lumbering behind them the entire time, frowned. "Really? You guys sort of have a connection. It's extremely strong. I kind of assumed you two were together."

The son of Poseidon turned on her. "What do you mean by connection?"

The smallest demigoddess shrugged, having the nerve to appear bashful. "I don't know," she responded, sounding incredibly honest. "It's just one of those things. I guess you could say I have a sense about love and relationships."

Reyna cleared her throat. "As nice as this conversation is, let's move on, shall we? I expect that they wish us to cover their tracks."

Percy nodded. "Naturally."

Piper wrinkled her nose, repulsed. "Uh, I'll just go hide in the woods."

The daughter of Bellona snorted, obviously thinking herself superior to the other girl. "Suit yourself, girlie. Come on, _Jackson. _Let's get this over with."

Percy hefted the largest male over his shoulder effortlessly, glowering over at Reyna. "There you go again."

"What do you mean?" she asked, managing to lift the other guard.

"What do you have against me? I've never done anything to you."

Her glare was colder than the air around them, and that was certainly saying a lot. The look she gave him was almost enough to seriously intimidate him. In a way, it reminded him of Hera's, when he had ventured through the Labyrinth. Whenever Annabeth had dared to bring up Thalia, he was sure the Queen of the Gods was going to set them on fire.

"Nothing," she answered briskly, toting the guard's body into the woodland. He followed easily after her, and they dumped the guards out of sight. "You've done nothing."

"You're lying," he accused.

"Where's Piper?" Reyna asked suddenly, glancing around in alarm.

"You aren't getting out of this one, missy—"

"No!" she whispered harshly, slapping him on the arm to gain his immediate focus. "Where the hell is Piper? Didn't say she was going to the woods? I don't see her anywhere."

Loud, thundering footsteps echoed through the wood, causing the demigod's chest to swell in concern. How could they have been so negligent? They had allowed Piper to be taken away, or harmed. He glanced up, attempting to see further past the clouded trees. The large form of _something _was trudging away from them…dragging Piper along.

"Oh, no," the son of Poseidon whined. "Thalia is going to kill me."


	8. The Friendliest Kidnapper

**A/N: I haven't updated in forever. So sorry about that. I'm trying to keep the updates coming more often, though. It's just a matter of inspiration. Please read and review, and do let me know any thoughts on this chapter. I didn't take the time to review, so feel free to let me know if I made any horrible typos or grammatical errors. **

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan, so naturally I do not own the PJO series. **

* * *

Nico had gotten all of the demigods out of the Underworld with no trouble at all. He had spent a great amount in his father's domain prior to Kronos' takeover, and not much had changed about it. The son of Hades led the group through the wood, his dark eyes searching the area. He had been instructed to meet up with Percy and Thalia in some old campsite.

Annabeth, her face stern, increased her pace until she was matching his. "I presume you are searching for our old hide-out. I know the way."

Nico shot her a disgruntled look, but didn't argue. He allowed her to lead them the rest of the way. Eventually, they came to a stop in front of an impressively crafted shelter. It was big enough to fit five people, and its roof was sturdy even though it was constructed of tree debris. Small woodland creatures squirmed away from the scene as Nico stepped forward to take a look inside.

Two sleeping bags were found on the floor, along with several novels and magazines. Annabeth revealed a small smile at the sight, but it was gone as quick as it had come. A half-torn empty box of cigarettes sat on the side of the black sleeping bag, but Nico couldn't guess who it belonged to. A few cans of dusty, old ravioli rested in a corner. The son of Hades grimaced. There was no way he would ever resort to eating those.

The daughter of Athena pushed him aside, stepping into the shelter and finding comfort on top of the black sleeping bag. Her back was pressed against the back of a log, and she eyed Nico expectantly.

Nico had seemingly forgotten all about Annabeth. He hadn't realized just how pretty she was, nor had he remembered the way her beautiful blonde curls framed her face and dainty shoulders. He shook his head at himself. He had never really thought about her like that before. Sure, she had been his childhood crush, but he had gotten over that. He didn't need anyone, let alone the daughter of Athena. It had to be his hormones driving him or something. Puberty was really beginning to suck.

Before the son of Hades could enter, he found himself held back. He glanced back to the group of heroes, swatting away the hand of his sister.

"What?" he asked collectively.

Cyril, a serious glint in his marshy brown eyes, stepped forward. His rugged, unrefined face was drawn downwards in a fierce scowl. He towered over most of them, and matched Beckendorf in bulk. Unlike the son of Hephaestus, Cyril had the gift of Herculean strength.

"There isn't nearly enough room for all of us."

Nico frowned. "I guess you're right." Cyril scoffed, but didn't reply. The recently revived heroes glanced around anxiously, hopelessly. "We may have to build more camps."

"I supported Kronos at the beginning of this stupid war, and I will continue to obey him," someone spoke up from the group. A boy that Nico didn't recognize stepped forward. "Many of us belong to the Titan Lord, and I'm sure my friends won't leave his side. Like me, they are loyal to the master they serve."

A large number of the _heroes _nodded, stepping aside to join the traitor. Nico bitterly scowled, but chose not to fight for the demigods. If they didn't want to be loyal to the gods, he couldn't very well force them to. Besides, even if they lost a majority of their support, a smaller army would be easier to maintain.

"If you really desire to turn your back on your brothers, sisters, and family, go right ahead," the son of Hades snarled. "But don't forget that you are indebted to _me_. No matter whom you serve, I am the one that brought you back into the world of the living. You will _not _inform Kronos of any of our plans, nor will you mention us at all. If the question arises, the children of the Big Three have not been discovered. Is that understood?"

* * *

Jason ducked behind a wall whenever he heard the footsteps and boisterous laugh of a Titan. Thalia stood directly beside him, squinting and raising an eyebrow as if she recognized the voices. The son of Jupiter wondered if she did. What had her life been like before the loss of the gods? Had she known many immortal beings? Had she fought in several wars?

Something about her was so achingly familiar to him. The memory of her—the angles of her face, the dark of her hair, the blue of her eyes and the sarcasm in her smile—lingered somewhere within the recesses of his mind. No matter how difficulty he struggled to recall her place in his past, he wasn't about to remember a thing.

He had dreamt of her before. She was present in a good number of his dreams. They weren't prophetic in the least. The dreams were visions of Christmas Day, of the rain pelting the grass as they hurried into a house. A blonde woman stood in a silk bathrobe on the porch, parting her ruby red lips to flash her rare smile.

He wasn't completely sure who Thalia was exactly. She was the daughter of Zeus, who he knew to be the Greek counterpart of his father Jupiter. Did that make them half-siblings or something? If so, why did he remember her from his past? She seemed older than him, so she would probably recall their past better than he could—if they even had one that is.

Thalia made a strangled noise, and Jason had the feeling she was resisting the urge to snarl. "Who is it?" the blonde asked her, his voice instantly hushed.

"It's Hyperion and Krios," Thalia answered in a whisper. "They're talking about the Oracle."

Jason felt anger swell in his chest. Krios—the very name was enough to bring him to the brink of madness. The Titan passing them didn't sound like the one he had battled at all, but he knew that it was him. He seemed stranger than he had before, almost more humanly. He wore his trademark ram horned helmet, and bore shining armor. The Titan of the South and Constellations? What a joke.

Jason, along with others, had made an attempt to defeat Krios. They had sought to storm Mount Othrys, and the son of Jupiter had planned to challenge Krios directly, seeking to best him in hand-to-hand combat. Saturn—also referred to as Kronos—had some tricks up his sleeve, though, which had led to Jason losing the battle. The Titan Lord had sent Krios to Camp Jupiter, forcing the other immortal to leave his watch on the mountain, and had succeeded in capturing Jason and his fellow heroes. He and Reyna had been the only Romans to escape.

"Oracle?" Jason asked softly, his voice projecting his rage. "Don't you mean the Augur?"

Thalia shot him a look. "Augur? The fuck is that?"

Jason shushed her as the Titans walked out in front of their hiding place, failing to notice the demigods. He breathed a sigh of relief when they turned down another hallway, dragging himself from their hiding spot. Thalia followed quickly after him, holding a hand to his chest to prevent him from traveling any further.

"First rule," she said firmly. "I lead. You follow."

Jason scowled. He wasn't used to taking commands like that. Rather, he preferred giving them. He was a natural leader, after all. Deciding not to argue, he calmly took after her. She led them through the confusing maze, not even stopping to reconsider the way she was going.

"How do you know we're going the right way?" he dared to ask.

Thalia took a while before she answered. "Easy," she said eventually. "I don't think."

Her statement confused him. How was that supposed to help them at all? If she didn't know where she was going, they would never succeed. He stared up at the high, stone ceiling. Water dripped onto the cement below his boots, but he didn't need to see that to know that it was raining. He had felt the signs previously.

The stone walls surrounding them were dreary, dull, and over-exercised the whole "prison" label. It resembled an ancient dungeon in a way, although it certainly looked sturdier and more advanced in some aspects. Torches hung from the walls, set in iron holsters. Thalia didn't bother observing her surroundings, and it irked him for some reason.

Screams rang through the air as they stopped in front of a large circular door. Thalia glanced back at him, spotting the steely expression on his face. He hadn't realized that they weren't walking past the prison cells. Inside of the round door, pitiful cries reverberated. They were going to witness the punishments of the prisoners.

Jason wasn't fazed much by the idea. He had seen plenty of gruesome torture in his life, or so he assumed. He didn't think he would be affected by whatever was on the other side of the door.

"Kronos built it like Dante's _Inferno_," Thalia supplied, grimacing. "He thinks he's witty or something. Anyway, this is the door to the First Circle of the Acheron. This is where Kronos places the demigods and humans who did not participate in the war. This is where we'll find the Oracle, whoever she may be now."

"What do you mean, whoever she may be?"

Thalia shrugged. "That's the thing, we don't know who she is. We were informed that the spirit of the Oracle had found a new host body—one that was alive."

"Alive?"

"Our last Oracle was a mummified hippie."

"Oh," Jason said plainly, releasing a small breath of air. "So, how do we get in here?"

"Soldiers!" a voice called before Thalia could answer.

The daughter of Zeus murmured, "Just follow my lead," as they turned around to face the man that had spoken.

Jason didn't know if Thalia had ever seen the man before, but he certainly hadn't. The being in front of him, who didn't appear to be a Titan at all, stood tall in golden armor. His face was marked with rough acne, and he wasn't built very strong. He looked like an awkward teenaged immortal, which Jason didn't even think was possible.

"Sir?" Thalia asked, easily slipping into her role.

In another life, Jason thought, she could have been an actress.

"Have the masters sent you to regulate the First Circle?" the immortal asked next, the crack in his voice suddenly becoming noticeable.

Thalia nodded. "Cadet Thompson and I are going to study the behaviors of the prisoners. Something suspicious is going on around here. If I were you, I'd hightail it out of here."

The immortal nodded eagerly. "Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea."

"So…do you think you could give us a hand here?" Jason asked, feeling Thalia's cold and calculated gaze on him. "This is the first time we've been permitted to enter this area. We aren't quite sure how to get the door open."

"The touch of a powerful being can get it open," the immortal claimed with a goofy, haughty smile. He placed his palm flat against the circular door, and the demigods watched as it slid upwards and into the ceiling. "Be back before long," he warned. "Lord Atlas is leaving the circle soon, so you might have to hurry to catch him. He's your only way out."

Lord Atlas.

Jason nodded.

Thalia smirked. "Will do, thanks," she said monotonously as she stepped through the round space.

The immortal walked off, and she quickly urged Jason through the entrance. When they were both safely on the other side, the door slid back down from the ceiling and closed them in. The son of Jupiter gulped, scanning their surroundings. If it were possible, the hallway they were trudging through was even darker than the passage ways before. Sulfur littered the air, and the blonde would have cringed if he weren't already used to the scent.

"What do you think that smell is coming from?" Thalia whispered.

Jason shrugged. "No idea. I'm pretty much used to it, so it doesn't really bother me."

"You too, huh?" she asked in confusion, frowning at him.

"Yeah…" he paused, his mind beginning to piece things together. "Listen…what I wanted to say earlier. Have we met before?" Thalia froze, and she tried to hide her shocked impression from him. He saw it as clear as day, though. "We have," he stated, with no doubt lingering in his voice. "You know me."

"No," Thalia refused. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"There's only one person you could possibly be, if I have met you before," she said after a long moment of pause. "And he's dead."

"That's funny," he remarked dryly. "I'm standing right in front of you."

"Listen, Jake—"

"Jason," he corrected.

"_Jason_—" she fixed, before her sentence was abruptly cut off. He watched her reaction with great interest, taking note of the way her eyebrows furrowed almost as if she were in pain and her red lips pursed. "Where did you get that scar on your lip?"

Jason subconsciously ran his fingers over it, flashing a small, fleeting smile. "I tried to eat a stapler when I was little. I had to get—"

"Stitches," Thalia finished for him, her face a frightening white.

She turned away from him quickly, beginning to lead him down the corridor. Droplets of what Jason hoped were water pecked the tops of their heads and shoulders as they walked. He wanted to say something to her—anything—but it was clear that she needed time to think the situation over. Thalia didn't want to believe him, which was obvious.

Jason didn't get why she was freaking out about it, though. She had clearly known him as a child, and she had thought he had died. Who was he to her? He was the son of Jupiter and, if she was telling the truth, she was the daughter of Zeus. It was obvious they were related on their father's side. But, how could they have known one another before? What connected them in their childhood?

He cleared his throat, realizing that their previous conversation was to be forgotten for now. "So, why didn't we just attack this place?"

She didn't even bother to glance back at him. "That's one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. We can't risk the Titans discovering us."

"Why would it be such a big deal? Why are Percy and you so afraid of being found out?"

Thalia sighed heavily. "We're kind of his biggest enemies."

"His?"

"The Titan Lord."

"Right," the blonde said, releasing a breath of air. "Well, let's—"

"Help me! Help me!" a voice screeched frightfully. Thalia seemed to freeze, but Jason continued to walk. "Please! I don't belong here."

"Jason, stop," Thalia ordered, and for some strange reason, he felt inclined to obey. "Who are you?" she called out loudly.

Loud footsteps sounded from behind the demigods, and a thunderous clapping noise resonated through the chamber. The daughter of Zeus visibly winced, obviously having recognized her mistake. They were supposed to keep quiet.

"Who are you two?" a deep voice asked.

Thalia slowly turned around, and her hand automatically reached for Jason's. She gripped it tightly, mercilessly. The Titan in front of them widened his eyes in recognition, his face burning an angry red. He towered above them, and the son of Jupiter willed himself not to reveal how that affected him.

"Lord Atlas," Thalia whispered.

The Titan clenched his jaw. "Daughter of Zeus."

Thalia drew her sword, not paying any mind to the gun in her holster. "It is certainly nice to see you again."

Atlas growled menacingly, his impressively large fists clenching in barely repressed anger. "You are one of the rebels that have been causing our empire trouble."

The daughter of Zeus shrugged, although it was obvious that the Titan's presence was making her anxious. "Guilty as charged."

Without bothering to spur on the conversation (which Jason thought was pretty damn rude), Atlas reached out and wrapped his meaty hand around Thalia's throat. He squeezed, but the demigoddess didn't look as pained as she should have been. Frustrated when she didn't choke or sputter, the immortal tossed her against the furthest wall.

Jason ducked as a fist sailed his way, swiftly maneuvering to the Titan's backside. He drew his weapon and implanted it in the immortal's thigh. Atlas roared, effortlessly swatting the son of Jupiter to the side. Jason felt his head hit the wall, and he closed his eyes from the pain.

Thalia was up quickly, swinging her sword high, aiming for their enemy's skull. While the Titan ducked, she lowered herself to the ground and tripped him up with her leg. He hit the ground, his forehead colliding painfully with the rocky ground. The immortal was up quickly, summoning his trademark javelin out of thin air.

He spun it expertly, and Thalia only barely managed to avoid it. Before long, she found herself cornered by the Titan. Jason seemed to be out of it, lying nearly motionless against the wall. Suddenly remembering, Thalia activated her shield. Atlas looked coy at first, thinking it silly for her to try and block his attacks. He sneered at the sight of Medusa, but when wild sparks flew across the flat of the shield, the expression was wiped from his face.

"What—?"

The daughter of Zeus sheathed her sword and held out her empty palm, watching silently as all of the sparks leaped into her hand. In mere moments, they had collected together, and formed into the master bolt. Before the Titan was able to say anymore, she speared him with it. His body trembled rapidly, before he fell to the ground. It hadn't been nearly enough to kill him, but her father's weapon had rendered him weak and unconscious.

Thalia hurried over to the son of Jupiter, noticing that his eyes were now opened in shock. She didn't answer any of the questions he shot at her, choosing to help him to his feet instead. He recovered remarkably quickly, and they stumbled their way to the end of the corridor.

Large brass double-doors stood in front of them, and the demigoddess didn't hesitate in throwing them open. As soon as they entered, head of red hair whirled in front of them. Bewildered green eyes peered into Thalia's, and the half-blood involuntarily gulped. The girl was too close for comfort, but the daughter of Zeus instantly recognized the glow of her eyes.

"Oracle," Thalia acknowledged, watching as the girl's eyes widened. "You're coming with us. You're safe now."

* * *

Percy grumbled under his breath, following close behind Reyna. They had been searching for Piper for a long enough time, and he honestly didn't think they would find her. The Roman demigoddess seemed fixated on the fact that they could follow the tracks of the Cyclops, and she wouldn't take any arguing on his part.

They trudged through the woods, and the son of Poseidon incidentally stepped directly into a puddle of mud. He flashed an expression of disgust before he slowly pulled his boot out, shaking his foot to rid it of filth. The daughter of Bellona continued to walk on without him, and he was forced to sprint in order to catch up to her.

Eventually, Reyna led them to the entrance of a large cave. It wasn't dark on the inside though, which he found strange. There was a light source somewhere inside, and it lit the path for them as they cautiously ventured inside. It was obviously the home of the Cyclops that had abducted Piper. Percy just hoped that they weren't too late. He had seen enough death.

He made to whisper, but the daughter of Bellona quickly shushed him. He turned to her in annoyance, but didn't say anything. When they were nearly fifty feet within the cave, they began to hear voices. They seemed friendly, which was strange. Piper's words echoed, reflecting her obvious comfort in the cave. Was it just the Cyclops imitating her?

The son of Poseidon drew his sword, ignoring his companion's silent protests. He crouched low, hiding himself behind a large rock. He motioned for her to do the same, and he dared to peer out from behind it. What he saw caused a strange chill of recognition to travel down his spine.

The Cyclops was eating bloody, fresh meat, humming to itself and chewing away happily. He sat at a small table, his knees lifting it nearly three feet off of the ground. Sitting directly across from him was a smiling Piper, and the demigods watched curiously as she lifted a cup of what seemed to be tea and swiftly sipped from it.

The girl's eyes caught sight of the two of them, and Percy instantly hid again, pulling Reyna out of the way. She shoved him off, trying to peer past the rock again. The pattering of footsteps approached them, and soon Piper was standing directly in front of them.

"Oh, there you two are!" she chirped, and her tone was neither nervous nor frightened. What was going on? Why wasn't she the least bit scared? "Sorry for disappearing on you guys like that." She turned to look at the Cyclops, smiling reassuringly. "Tyson was just lonely."

Percy felt his heart patter against his ribs.

"Tyson?"

The son of Poseidon stood, rushing over to the Cyclops. He turned the monster around by his shoulder, his sea green eyes scanning over the figure's messy brown locks. A large, dark eye blinked back at him excitedly.

"Brother!" Tyson cried gleefully, throwing the table aside and standing from his rickety chair. He enveloped Percy in his arms, squeezing him until the demigod was sure that he had to be dying from the inside. Despite the slight pain, Percy found himself smiling widely.

"I'm here, Tyson. I'm here."


End file.
